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Botrychium minganense

Victorin

Mingan Moonwort

G5Secure Found in 18 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.156367
Element CodePPOPH010R0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumFilicinophyta
ClassOphioglossopsida
OrderOphioglossales
FamilyOphioglossaceae
GenusBotrychium
Synonyms
Botrychium lunaria ssp. minganense(Victorin) Calder & TaylorBotrychium lunaria var. minganense(Victorin) Dole
Other Common Names
Botryche de Mingan (FR) Mingan moonwort (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, 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 Comments
Botrychium minganense Victorin has been considered at variety of B. lunaria, but is tetraloid while B. lunaria is diploid. Dr. Peter Root recognizes the species as occurring in Colorado, although Weber and Wittman (1992) state that Colorado records are in error and evidently apply to B. pallidum. Collections made in Archuleta County in 2001 were identified by Dr. Root and Dr. Peter Zika as B. minganense.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-08-31
Change Date2016-08-31
Edition AuthorsVrilakas, Sue
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Botrychium minganense is widespread, with a scattered distribution across most of Canada, into Alaska, and south into western United States to Arizona and along the Canadian/US border states. It is considered rare or uncommon where found, often with very few individuals per site. Some of the locations are protected in special management areas.
Range Extent Comments
One of the most widespread moonworts in North America, occurring in practially all parts of Canada and Alaska and throughout the western United States, south to Arizona, and in all the US/Canadian border states.
Occurrences Comments
In Oregon, there are 115 known occurrences (ORNHIC 2002), another 62 or so in Washington (ISMS 2002). It is estimated that there are at least 300 global occurrences since this species is found in 18 other states and 12 provinces.
There are 36 principal occurrences documented in the Colorado Natural Heritage Program data system. 1 of the 36 occurrences has not been observed in over 20 years.

Ecology & Habitat

Description

Mingan Island Moonwort is a small perennial fern with a single aboveground frond. The frond varies in height, but may reach about 20 cm. It is divided into two segments which share a common stalk, and it is usually a deep, dull green and somewhat fleshy. The sterile segment is once pinnatifid with up to 10 usually well separated pairs of pinnae. The pinnae are variable; they are generally narrowly fan-shaped with rounded, entire margined apices, but can be broader and may be lobed or have incised margins. The fertile segment is longer than the sterile segment, is branched, and bears grape-like sporangia. Spores germinate underground and develop into minute subterranean, non-photosynthetic gametophytes which depend on an endophytic fungus for nourishment.

Diagnostic Characteristics

BOTRYCHIUM MINGANENSE is highly variable, but the dull green color, somewhat fleshy texture, and the many well-divided, relatively narrow, entire-margined pinnae are typical of Montana plants. This species is most easily confused with B. ASCENDENS, B. CRENULATUM, and B. LUNARIA; small plants may also resemble B. MONTANUM and B. SIMPLEX. Reliable field determination of moonworts depends on the careful use of technical keys and comparison with silhouette outlines of verified specimens. Identification can be complicated because there is often a high degree of morphological variability between individuals in a population and between populations of the same species; several species may grow together at the same site, and the few diagnostic characters may not be apparent in small plants.

Habitat

A wide variety of habitats including meadows, prairies, woods, sand dunes and riverbanks (Idaho Native Plant Society, 1993).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandGrassland/herbaceousSand/dune
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS5Yes
LabradorS1Yes
New BrunswickS2Yes
Yukon TerritoryS4Yes
QuebecS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
SaskatchewanS1Yes
OntarioS4Yes
ManitobaS2Yes
Nova ScotiaSHYes
NunavutS3Yes
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
South DakotaS2Yes
North DakotaS1Yes
MaineSNRYes
VermontSHYes
WisconsinS2Yes
WyomingS3Yes
UtahS1Yes
ArizonaS1Yes
New YorkS1Yes
AlaskaSNRYes
NevadaS2Yes
OregonS3Yes
WashingtonS4Yes
CaliforniaS4Yes
MinnesotaS3Yes
MontanaS4Yes
IdahoS3Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
ColoradoS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (18)
Alaska (1)
AreaForestAcres
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mt. RaymondSierra National Forest6,965
Idaho (2)
AreaForestAcres
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
Lemhi RangeSalmon-Challis National Forest308,533
Montana (4)
AreaForestAcres
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
Italian PeakBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest90,401
Roderick #684Kootenai National Forest29,677
Ten Lakes #683Kootenai National Forest48,545
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
Mystic (NV)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,644
Rose - Big MeadowsHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest311
Rose - Davis Mdw.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,361
Oregon (1)
AreaForestAcres
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Washington (5)
AreaForestAcres
Boulder RiverMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest32,563
Glacier Peak JMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest26,482
Glacier Peak KMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest47,269
Mt. Baker NorthMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest16,873
Mt. BonaparteOkanogan National Forest10,891
Wyoming (1)
AreaForestAcres
Rock CreekMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest18,874
References (15)
  1. Achuff, P. L. 1992. Status review of BOTRYCHIUM MINGANENSE. Unpublished report to the Lolo National Forest, Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 26 pp.
  2. Caicco, S. L. 1987. Field investigations of selected sensitive plant species on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. Idaho Natural Heritage Program, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise, Idaho. 44 pp.
  3. Dahle, R. 2000. Botrychiums. Electronic mail memo of 11 January to K. Cieminski.
  4. Douglas, G.W., G.B. Straley, and D. Meidinger. 1989. The vascular plants of British Columbia. Part 1. Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons (Asteraceae through Cucurbitaceae). Crown Publications Incorporated. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. 208 pp.
  5. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1993a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 2. Pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xvi + 475 pp.
  6. Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1400 pp.
  7. Idaho Native Plant Society. 1993. Federal candidate (C1 and C2) and listed rare plants of Idaho. unpaginated.
  8. Interagency Species Management System. November 20002. ISMS data set. ISMS BLM and USFS, Portland, OR.
  9. Kartesz, 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.
  10. Lesica, P. and K. Ahlenslager. 1994. Demographic monitoring of three species of BOTRYCHIUM (Ophioglossaceae) in Waterton Lakes Park, Alberta: 1993 progress report. Unpublished report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, Montana. 19 pp.
  11. Mantas, M. and R. S. Wirt. 1995. Moonworts of western Montana (BOTRYCHIUM subgenus BOTRYCHIUM). Flathead National Forest. 103 pp.
  12. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center. 2002. Oregon Natural Heritage Program data set. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Portland.
  13. Skinner, M.W., and B.M. Pavlik, eds. 1997 (1994). Inventory of rare and endangered vascular plants of California. 1997 Electronic Inventory Update of 1994 5th edition, California Native Plant Society, Special Publication No. 1, Sacramento.
  14. Wagner, D.H. 1992. Guide to the species of <i>Botrychium</i> in Oregon. Biology Dept., University of Oregon, Eugene. 19 pp. + Figures.
  15. Weber, W.A., and R.C. Wittmann. 1996a. Colorado flora: Eastern slope. Revised edition. Univ. Press of Colorado, Niwot, Colorado. 524 pp.