Botrychium ascendens — upswept moonwort
![Detail of leaf and/or divisions: Botrychium ascendens. ~ By Ben Legler. ~ Copyright © 2024 Ben Legler. ~ mountainmarmot[at]hotmail.com ~ U. of Washington - WTU - Herbarium - biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Ophioglossaceae/botrychium-ascendens-ld-blegler-a.jpg)
![Leaf: Botrychium ascendens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Ophioglossaceae/botrychium-ascendens-le-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Sori: Botrychium ascendens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Ophioglossaceae/botrychium-ascendens-so-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Plant form: Botrychium ascendens. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Ophioglossaceae/botrychium-ascendens-ha-ahaines-c.jpg)
![Detail of leaf and/or divisions: Botrychium ascendens. ~ By Ben Legler. ~ Copyright © 2024 Ben Legler. ~ mountainmarmot[at]hotmail.com ~ U. of Washington - WTU - Herbarium - biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Ophioglossaceae/botrychium-ascendens-ld-blegler-b.jpg)
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Facts
Upswept moonwort is rare and widely scattered in North America, mostly in the West and Northwest. In New England it is confined to southwastern Vermont in meadows, quarries and grass-covered roadsides, where it occurs with the closely-related prairie moonwort (Botrychium campestre).
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges, meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Vermont
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- there are no special features on the leaves
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Vermont
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Botrychium ascendens W.H. Wagner NC
upswept moonwort. VT; southwestern portion of state. Meadows, open quarries, grassy roadsides. This species sporulates ca. 10–15 days later than Botrychium campestre when both species occur at the same site.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Botrychium campestre:
- rachis of vegetative portion of leaf often relatively broad, up to 0.35 times as broad as the entire portion, and stalk of reproductive portion of leaf shorter than 0.25 times as long as the vegetative portion of leaf (vs. B. ascendens, with rachis of vegetative portion of leaf often relatively narrow, up to 0.25 times as broad as the entire portion, and stalk of reproductive portion of leaf mostly 0.25-0.5 times as long as the vegetative portion of leaf).
- Botrychium minganense:
- vegetative portion of leaf conspicuously stalked, with the stalk equal to or greater than the distance between the first and second pair of leaflets, and reproductive portion of leaf on a long stalk that is often longer than vegetative portion (vs. B. ascendens, with the vegetative portion of the leaf short-stalked, the stalk usually shorter the distance between the first and second pair of leaflets, and reproductive portion of leaf on a long stalk that is mostly 0.25-0.5 times as long as the vegetative portion).