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Click to read about the Botrychium genus and to find links to more information about Botrychiums. |
Botrychium pinnatum (Pinnate Moonwort) Montane, subalpine. The B. pinnatum lying at a steep angle to the left has withered at its base and will soon die. The upright plant is thriving. |
Botrychium pinnatum (Pinnate Moonwort) Montane, subalpine. This B. pinnatum is almost 4 inches tall and although it received a good start from the near-record snows of 2018-2019, it did not reach full, normal development because there were almost no summer rains in 2019. |
Botrychium pinnatum (Pinnate Moonwort) Montane, subalpine. The photographs immediately above and to the left show mature Botrychium pinnatum with the trophophore (the leafy portion of Botrychiums) fully open and the sporophore near full development. Botrychium pinnatum basal pinnae (leaflets) are broadest at the bottom and often, as shown here, deeply lobed on both the upper and lower margins. Upper pinnae are usually very slightly or not lobed and they are narrower than the lower pinnae. The stalk of the Botrychium pinnatum trophophore is 0-2 millimeters long, the sporophore stalk is much longer, and the common stalk that supports the plant from the ground upward may be from 9-25 millimeters long. Botrychium pinnatum is classified as a rare plant in the Four Corners area but we find it on many of our mountain hikes. Click to read Don Farrar's page on B. pinnatum. |
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Botrychium pinnatum (Pinnate Moonwort) Montane, subalpine. The two photographs at left show Botrychium pinnatum late in the season. The photograph immediately above these shows the plant at its most robust stage. With some perseverance, one can find various Botrychium over a period of at least three months. |
Range map © John Kartesz,
County Color Key
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Range map for Botrychium pinnatum |