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Native Plant Trust: Go Botany Discover thousands of New England plants

Genus: Botrychium — moonwort

Fertile plants in this fern genus have leaves with separate sterile and fertile portions on the same stem, supported by a single stalk. Some species are commonly sterile. Species are separated on very subtle characteristics. Shapes and proportions are important for determinations, and you should look at several individuals in order to understand the variability in the population. Although some authors have subdivided Botrychium into three genera, only one genus is recognized here (Hauk et al. 2003).

Family

Ophioglossaceae (adder's tongue family)

This genus’s species in New England

Visit this genus in the Dichotomous Key