W.H. Wagner
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.154092
Element CodePPOPH01140
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumFilicinophyta
ClassOphioglossopsida
OrderOphioglossales
FamilyOphioglossaceae
GenusBotrychium
Other Common NamesBotryche à segments spatulés (FR) Spatulate Moonwort (EN)
Concept ReferenceKartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic CommentsA tetraploid species first described in 1990. According to Hauk and Haufler (1999), "morphological characters indicate that B. spathulatum is an allopolyploid derivative of the diploids B. lunaria and B. campestre and rbcL data identified B. campestre as the chloroplast parent. However, isozyme data do not support the hypothesis that B. lunaria is the nonchloroplast parent. As currently circumscribed, B. spathulatum may represent a taxon composed of allopolyploid derivatives of B. campestre x B. lunaria and B. campestre x B. crenulatum. This hypothesis... should be tested." In addition to B. campestre, B. lunaria, and B. crenulatum, it is believed to be related to B. pallidum, B. minganense, and B. ascendens. May occasionally hybridize with B. minganense, at least in Ontario (Chadde and Kudray 2001).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-06
Change Date2000-08-11
Edition Date2024-08-06
Edition AuthorsACHUFF, P. (1991), rev. L. Morse (2000), rev. K. Gravuer (2008), rev. N. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank ReasonsBotrychium spathulatum is a fern that occurs in sand dunes, grassy railroad sidings, and in old fields at scattered sites in several regions of northern North America from Alaska and the Northwest Territories to British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, Colorado, Manitoba south to Minnesota, east to Vermont, and north to Quebec, in the United States and Canada. There are 48 occurrences believed to be extant, but this is a cryptic species that is underground for a portion of its life-cycle, and discovery of additional occurrences is expected with further inventory. Populations are generally small (just a handful of plants), and B. spathulatum is reliant on mycorrhizal associations and open early successional habitat. Threats include natural succession due to the species' apparent preference for open habitats, drought, and invasive species. At least some populations appear resilient to moderate anthropogenic disturbance.
Range Extent CommentsBotrychium spathulatum occurs in northern North America in several scattered regions from Alaska and the Northwest Territories of the United States and Canada south to British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, and Colorado (FNA 1993, NatureServe 2024). In eastern North America, it occurs from Manitoba south to Minnesota, east to Vermont, and north to Quebec in the United States and Canada. Range extent was estimated to be over 5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1983 and 2024 (iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024). Farrar (2005) notes that "because of the similarity of the species to western forms of B. ascendens and B. minganense the western occurrences have been questioned. However recent collections from Alaska, the Yukon and southeastern British Columbia have proved to be genetically identical to B. spathulatum from the Great Lakes, confirming the widespread occurrence of this taxon in northwestern North America."
Occurrences CommentsBy applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1983 and 2024, it is estimated that there are 48 occurrences rangewide (iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024). As with many Botrychium species, further inventory is expected to turn up additional sites for B. spathulatum (Chadde and Kudray 2003), especially as only the sporophytes are visible above ground.
Threat Impact CommentsLittle information on threats is available due to a lack of information on the species in general (Chadde and Kudray 2003). Because B. spathulatum often occurs in open sites, and sometimes in areas that were previously disturbed (e.g., roadsides), a major threat likely includes natural plant succession toward closed-canopy conditions. Succession may occur in situations where the natural disturbance regime is suppressed (e.g. fire suppression), or where the anthropogenic disturbance ceases (e.g. old fields reverting to forest). Given apparent habitat preferences, population viability may be dependent on a shifting mosaic of suitable sites opening for colonization, as occupied sites become overgrown and small populations become vulnerable to local extinction (Chadde and Kudray 2003). However, no information is available on the response of B. spathulatum to various types of site changes. Observations of populations beside trails and in drained sediment basins used to dispose of mine tailings in Minnesota suggests that the species is tolerant of light to moderate disturbance and has a reasonably good ability to colonize vacant sites under suitable conditions (NatureServe 2024). Increased drought conditions associated with climate change may also impact this species, as Botrychium spp. and their associated mycorrhizae are potentially sensitive to drought (Chadde and Kudray 2003). Exotic plants are also a threat to B. spathulatum populations.