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western moonwort
Scientific Name: Botrychium hesperium
Family: Ophioglossaceae
Category: Fern
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names: MI (western moonwort), WA (western moonwort)
Botrychium hesperium: Western Moonwort
Botrychium hesperium, commonly known as Western Moonwort, is a perennial forb/herb belonging to the Ophioglossaceae family.
Considerations for Pets
- This plant is a non-woody plant that is not a grass, it has a single leaf divided into two dissimilar segments.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Botrychium hesperium (Maxon & R.T. Clausen) W.H. Wagner & Lellinger
- Common Names: Western Moonwort, Western Grapefern, Lanceleaf Grapefern, Lanceleaf Moonwort, Triangle Grapefern, Moonwort, Dunewort
- Family: Ophioglossaceae
- Synonyms:
- Botrychium lunaria (L.) Sw. ssp. occidentale A. & D. Lve
- Botrychium matricariifolium subsp. hesperium Maxon & Clausen
- Botrychium lanceolatum (S.G. Gmel.) ngstr.
Distribution and Habitat
- Botrychium hesperium is found in western North America, including the western U.S. and Canada.
- Specific locations include western Montana, mostly in Glacier National Park or on National Forest lands, and Region 2 of the USDA Forest Service.
- It's also found in the upper Great Lakes region and western Iowa.
Morphological Characteristics
- Western Moonwort is a perennial fern relative, typically 5-20 cm tall.
- It has a single leaf divided into two dissimilar segments: a sterile vegetative segment and a fertile segment.
- The sterile blade is sessile to the common stalk or has a short stalk.
Related Species
- Other Botrychium species mentioned include:
- Botrychium lunaria
- Botrychium montanum
- Botrychium lanceolatum
- Botrychium ascendens
- Botrychium boreale
- Botrychium pallidum
- Botrychium lineare
- Botrychium echo
- Botrychium paradoxum
Further Information
- Discover Life's page about Botrychium hesperium: Discover Life.
- UCSU Colorado State University: Botrychium hesperium Barneby (western moonwort) : a technical conservation assessment.
- Article: Conservation Assessment For Western Moonwort (Botrychium hesperium).
- Michigan Natural Features Inventory. P.O. Box 30444 - Lansing, MI 48909-7944. Phone: 517-373-1552