Ophioglossaceae

A significant amount of study has been done on this family over the past 30 years and much of the most recent work is not reflected in the major floras relevant to this region. Also, the distribution of many species poorly known in Southeast Alaska.

A good reference for what is currently known about this group in North America can be found here: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~herbarium/botrychium.html

Family: Ophioglossaceae

Group: Vascular Plant, Species

Scientific Name	Common Name	Summary
Botrychium alaskense	Alaska Grapefern	Expected in to occur in the region. At least one collection from a limestone ridge on central mainland. This species was described in 2002 (?) and is known to occur in Alaska, British Columbia, and Yukon Territories.
Botrychium ascendens	Triangle-lobe Moonwort	Described in 1986 and known in our region from beaches of the Yakutat Forelands, this species has a scattered distribution across North America and may be present elsewhere in the region.
Botrychium campestre	Slender Moonwort	Apparently rare throughout much of its range, this species has been found near Yakutat.
Botrychium hesperium	Western Moonwort	May occur in the far northern mountains along the border with Canada (see map on the pdf linked in references).
Botrychium lanceolatum	Lance-leaved Grapefern	Expected throughout the region, but so far primarily collected only on the northern mainland between Yakutat and Haines, with one collection (the only report from lower elevations?) from Prince of Wales. Also found near Juneau on Baranof Island (photo records in iNaturalist)
Botrychium lunaria	Moonwort	Expected to occur throughout the region, it appears most collections are from on or adjacent to the northern mainland, with a collection from Lisanski Strait and another from Coronation Island being exceptions.
Botrychium minganense	Mingan Moonwort	Expected throughout the region, collections in Southeast Alaska so far have been from (sandy) beach meadows and limestone areas away from the beach. Locations in include, northern Chichagof Island, the northern mainland from Lynn Canal west to Yakutat, a single collection from Prince of Wales, and two additional collections from alpine locations on the southern mainland.
Botrychium montanum	Mountain Moonwort	Apparently found near the northwestern-most edge of the region. This species has also been found to the south in BC, and may occur elsewhere in the region, though its small size may make it easily to overlook.
Botrychium neolunaria	Common Moonwort	Expected throughout the region - though apparently no collections? (need to check with Mary Stensvold), the name this ended up being could be Moosewort (Botrychium tunux)
Botrychium pedunculosum	Stalked Moonwort	Not currently known from Southeast Alaska, the nearest report of this species appears to be from British Columbia a ways inland from Prince Rupert. There is also a population that has been found well to the west on the Alaska Peninsula.
Botrychium pinnatum	Northwestern Moonwort	Expected throughout the region, there are apparently currently very few collections of this species from Southeast Alaska (mostly out of Haines), with one from the southern mainland. This species has been considered at subspecies of B. boreale and may be labeled as such in herbarium records.
Botrychium spathulatum	Spatulate Moonwort	Collected from stabilized maritime sand dunes on Kruzof Island this species may be expected to occur elsewhere in the region. One additional collection from Icy Bay at the boundary of the region. It is quite similar in appearance to Triangle-lobe Moonwort (Botrychium ascendens) (see pdf linked below for a table of characters used to differentiate the two).
Botrychium tunux	Moosewort	This recently described species is known from the Yakutat area. Previously considered part of B. neolunaria (though B. neolunaria is not yet formally described - so perhaps this should be B. lunaria?)
Botrychium yaaxudakeit	Giant Moonwort	Described in 2002 from collections made at sandy beaches near Yakutat. Also collected from Glacier Bay. Plants of this species had formerly been considered B. neolunaria.
Botrypus virginianus	Rattlesnake Fern	Scattered collections from Coronation Island and northern Prince of Wales north, though coastal collections to the south suggest this species could be expected to occur infrequently throughout much of the region.
Sceptridium multifidum	Leathery Grapefern	Expected throughout the region, though apparently only four collections from the region - one near Skagway, one near Yakutat, and two from northern Chichagof (though there are reports from Haida Gwaii and other locations in coastal BC).