Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium pedunculosum

Paradox moonwort, peculiar moonwort, two-spike moonwort

stalk moonwort
Pinnae

to 5 pairs, somewhat ascending, approximate to well separated, 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, ovate-rhombic to spatulate, lobed to tip, margin entire to irregularly lobed, apex rounded to acute, venation pinnate.
Sporophores

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

1–3-pinnate, 2–4 times length of trophophore.
Trophophore(s)

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

stalk 8–26 mm, to 1.1 times length of trophophore rachis;

blade dull green, ovate-oblong to deltate-oblong, 1-pinnate, to 4.5 × 2 cm, leathery.
2n

=180.

=180.

Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium pedunculosum
Phenology Leaves appearing in late spring, dying in early fall.
Habitat Sporophores in June to August. Difficult to detect, plants usually hidden under other vegetation, in snowfields, secondary growth pastures Brushy secondary-growth habitats along streams and roadsides
Elevation 1500–3000 m (4900–9800 ft) 300–1000 m (1000–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MT; UT; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

The common stalk on this species tends to be reddish brown. The presence of extra sporangia on the proximal pinnae is known only in Botrychium pedunculosum and B. ascendens.

Botrychium pedunculosum grows with other moonworts, B. lanceolatum, B. lunaria, B. minganense, and B. pinnatum. It has not been found in association with the rather similar and much more common B. hesperium.

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. pallidum, B. paradoxum, 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. 76: 43, figs. 2, 7. (1986)
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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