Botrychium neolunaria - (image 1 of 1)
Taxonomy
Family: Ophioglossaceae
Habitat
Fields, open forest, in sandy soils or over limestone.
Associates
Distribution
Much of southern Canada, coastal and lowland interior of AK, and northern U.S.
Morphology
Trophophore blade dark green, oblong, 1-pinnate, to 10 cm, thick, fleshy; pinnae to 9 pairs, spreading, mostly overlapping except in shade forms, nearly overlapping to overlapping, not overlapping rachis; basal pinnae broadly fan-shaped, spanning arc of 150-180°; sporophores 1-2 pinnate, 0.8-2 times length of trophophore.
Notes
Spores produced early June to August
Wetland category: NA
This species is morphologically nearly indistinguishable from B. lunaria but has been identified as a genetically distinct species. Botrychium lunaria is circumpolar and only occur in North America in northern Canada and high mountain habitats in Alaska. The specimen in the photograph was collected in 1880 in Onondaga County NY. Only one extent population of this species is currently known from the same county in NY.
References
Stensvold, M. C. 2008. A taxonomic and phylogeographic study of the Botrychium lunaria complex. Ph. D. dissertation. Iowa State University.
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© Michael Hough 2018 |