mountain moonwort
Botrychium montanum W.H.Wagner
Botrychium montanum, known as mountain moonwort, is a fern species in the Ophioglossaceae family. It is native to western North America, including British Columbia, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. This small plant grows in the shaded understory of coniferous forests and moist wooded areas. It features a single thin gray-green leaf, less than 8 centimeters tall, divided into sterile and fertile sections. The sterile part has irregularly shaped leaflets, while the fertile part has grape-like clusters of sporangia for reproduction.
Description
Botrychium montanum is a small fern species found in the dark understory of coniferous forests and other moist wooded areas in western North America. The plant grows from an underground caudex and produces a single thin leaf that is less than 8 centimeters tall. The leaf is divided into two distinct parts: the sterile portion has irregularly shaped angled leaflets, and the fertile portion has grape-like clusters of sporangia. This species is native to British Columbia, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. It was first described in 1981 by W.H. Wagner.
Other common names
mountain moonwortwestern goblin
Distribution
British Columbia · California · Idaho · Montana · Oregon · Washington
