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Botrychium tenebrosum — swamp moonwort

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Facts

Swamp moonwort is a rare inhabitant of swamps, streambanks and shaded forests. This species is closely related to least moonwort (Botrychium simplex), but is more likely to inhabit forested wetlands, while least moonwort is more often found in open fields, shores and banks.

Habitat

Forests, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
  • terrestrial
  • wetlands
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
Show all characteristics
  • Leaves

    Features of leaves
    there are no special features on the leaves
  • Place

    Habitat
    • terrestrial
    • wetlands
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Vermont
    Specific habitat
    • edges of wetlands
    • forests
    • shores of rivers or lakes
    • swamps

Wetland status

Not classified

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
present
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
present
Rhode Island
absent
Vermont
present

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Massachusetts
extremely rare to rare (S-rank: S1S2)
New Hampshire
unrankable (S-rank: SU), Ind (code: Ind)
Rhode Island
extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (uncertain) (code: C*)
Vermont
extremely rare (S-rank: S1)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

13.  Botrychium tenebrosum A.A. Eat. NC

swamp moonwort. Botrychium simplex E. Hitch. var. tenebrosum (A.A. Eat.) Clausen • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Swamps, streambanks, shaded forests.

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Botrychium simplex:
stalk to the vegetative portion of plant inserted usually near base of plant, and lowest pair of lobes or leaflets on the vegetative portion of the plant obviously larger than the next apical pair (vs. B. tenebrosum, with the stalk to vegetative portion of plant inserted high on plant, usually at or above the mid-point, and lowest pair of lobes or leaflets on the vegetative portion of the plant not obviously larger than the next apical pair).

Synonyms

  • Botrychium simplex E. Hitch. var. tenebrosum (A.A. Eat.) Clausen

Genus

Botrychium