Species: Botrychium paradoxum W.H. Wagner

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Botrychium paradoxum W.H. Wagner

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Ophioglossaceae

Genus:

Botrychium

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

peculiar moonwort
paradoxical moonwort

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, south western Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland

HABITAT

Canada:

pastures

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G2 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Peculiar moonwort is endangered because of extreme rarity in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted to one small subregion in the province. Immediate or probable threats have been identified.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

< 25 cm

Stipe:

common stalk present

Fronds:

solitary; sterile blade replaced by second fertile blade, stalk 1/2 the length of fertile blade, fertile blades 0.5 – 4 cm long, linear in outline, once pinnate, delicately herbaceous to fleshy, with a bluish bloom

Sporangia:

short-stalked to sessile on lateral branches, 2 – 3 per branch, round

Spores:

small, yellow

BOTRYCHIUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Sterile blades 5 – 25 cm long, triangular, 2 – 4 times pinnately compound; fertile blades may be absent; plants over 12 cm tall	2
1 Sterile blades 2 – 5 cm long or absent, oblong to linear or triangular, simple to pinnate or pinnatifed; fertile blades always present; plants less than 15 cm tall	3

2 Sterile blades thin; sheaths on common stalk open; fertile blades, when present, arising from high ;on common stalk; common stalk usually longer than 10 cm, hairless	B. virginianum
2 Sterile blades herbaceous or thick to leathery; sheaths on common stalk closed; fertile blades, when present, arising from the basal portion of the common stalk; common stalk less than 8 cm long, somewhat hairy	B. multifidum

3 Sterile blades linear to oblong, simple to lobed; plants in deep shade under shrubs and trees	B. simplex
3 Sterile blades linear to triangular, pinnate or absent; plants usually in exposed sites	4

4 Distance between first and second pinnae greater than that between second and third pairs	B. simplex
4 Distance between first and second pinnae equal to or slightly more than between second and third pairs or sterile blade absent	5

5 Sterile blades present, basal pinnae fan-shaped to spoon-shaped, midrib absent	6
5 Sterile may be replaced by fertile blade, basal pinnae inversely lanceolate to linear to oval, midrib present	9

6 Sterile blades oval to triangular	B. simplex
6 Sterile blades oblong to lance-shaped	7

7 Sterile blades thick and leathery, dark greyish-green to yellowish; basal pinnae broadly fan-shaped	B. lunaria
7 Sterile blades thin (except B. campestre), dark to light green or yellowish; basal pinnae narrowly fan-shaped or wedge-shaped to linear	8

8 Sterile blades folded longitudinally, up to 5 pairs of pinnae; plants of prairies or meadows	B. campestre
8 Sterile blades flat or folded only at the base, up to 10 pairs of pinnae; plants of woodlands	B. minganense

9 Sterile blade replaced by fertile blade, resulting in two fertile blades	B. paradoxum
9 Sterile blade present, distinct from fertile blade	10

10 Sterile blades subsessile, blades triangular; fertile blades divided equally several times, about equal to 2.5 times longer than sterile blades	B. lanceolatum
10 Sterile blades oval to oblong or triangular; fertile blades with one main axis, 2 - 4 times longer than sterile blades

11 Sterile blade long-stalked, stalk equal to length of blade; few spore sacs may be present on the basal pinnae of sterile blade	B. pedunculosum
11 Sterile blade sessile to short-stalked, stalk less than ¼ length of blade; spore sacs never present on basal pinnae of sterile blade	B. hesperium