Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium pallidum

Paradox moonwort, peculiar moonwort, two-spike moonwort

botryche pâle, pale botrychium, pale moonwort
Pinnae

to 5 pairs, ascending, approximate, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, basal pinna pair approximately equal in size and cutting to adjacent pair, fan-shaped, strongly asymmetric, lobed to divided to tip, margins entire to irregularly crenate-dentate, largest pinnae often split into 2 unequal lobes, apex rounded, venation like ribs of fan, midrib absent.
Sporophores

double, 2 per leaf, 1-pinnate, 0.5–4 cm.

1–2-pinnate, 1.5–4 times length of trophophore.
Trophophore(s)

converted entirely to second fertile segment, stalk 1/2 length of fertile segment.

stalk 2–8 mm, 0–1/5 length of trophophore rachis;

blade glaucous, pale green to whitish, oblong, ± longitudinally folded when alive, 1-pinnate, to 4 × 1 cm, herbaceous.
2n

=180.

=90.

Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium pallidum
Phenology Leaves appearing in late spring and early summer.
Habitat Sporophores in June to August. Difficult to detect, plants usually hidden under other vegetation, in snowfields, secondary growth pastures Sporadic, mainly in open fields but also in shaded places
Elevation 1500–3000 m (4900–9800 ft) 0–2600 m (0–8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MT; UT; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ME; MI; MB; ON; QC; SK
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The leaf structure of Botrychium paradoxum is uniform and unique. Very rare teratological individuals of other moonwort species may have trophophores partially or wholly transformed into sporophores.

Botrychium × watertonense W.H. Wagner, known only from one locality in western Alberta, is the sterile hybrid of B. hesperium and B. paradoxum. It can be identified by its trophophore pinnae; all are bordered with sporangia. It may reproduce by some unknown mechanism, such as unreduced spores (W.H. Wagner Jr., F. S. Wagner, et al. 1984).

Of conservation concern.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

A usually tiny plant, Botrychium pallidum is separable from dwarfed and narrow sun forms of B. minganense by the peculiar, often folded pinnae and pale green to whitish color. It has been found growing with B. campestre, B. echo, B. hesperium, B. lunaria, B. matricariifolium, B. minganense, and B. spathulatum. Its small size may cause it to be overlooked. This is one of four moonwort species that commonly produce dense clusters of minute, spheric gemmae at the root bases.

Of conservation concern.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Ophioglossaceae > Botrychium > subg. Botrychium Ophioglossaceae > Botrychium > subg. Botrychium
Sibling taxa
B. acuminatum, B. ascendens, B. biternatum, B. boreale, B. campestre, B. crenulatum, B. dissectum, B. echo, B. gallicomontanum, B. hesperium, B. jenmanii, B. lanceolatum, B. lunaria, B. lunarioides, B. matricariifolium, B. minganense, B. montanum, B. mormo, B. multifidum, B. oneidense, B. pallidum, B. pedunculosum, B. pinnatum, B. pseudopinnatum, B. pumicola, B. rugulosum, B. simplex, B. spathulatum, B. virginianum
B. acuminatum, B. ascendens, B. biternatum, B. boreale, B. campestre, B. crenulatum, B. dissectum, B. echo, B. gallicomontanum, B. hesperium, B. jenmanii, B. lanceolatum, B. lunaria, B. lunarioides, B. matricariifolium, B. minganense, B. montanum, B. mormo, B. multifidum, B. oneidense, B. paradoxum, B. pedunculosum, B. pinnatum, B. pseudopinnatum, B. pumicola, B. rugulosum, B. simplex, B. spathulatum, B. virginianum
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 71: 24. (1981) W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 80: 74. (1990)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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