Botrychium crenulatum

Scalloped moonwort

Family: Ophioglossaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Scalloped moonwort is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges, California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, southern Great Basin, Warner Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada in saturated hard-water seeps and stream margins at elevations of 1,500 to 3,600 meters. Its delicate fronds emerge with a trophophore and sporophore roughly equal in length, featuring thin, soft green to yellow-green pinnae that spread in a fan-like pattern. Growing with a distinctive leaf structure, the plant produces thin, shiny fronds with 3 to 5 pairs of pinnae that are mostly well-separated and have side margins converging at an angle of 120 to 160 degrees. Its pinnae are characterized by finely crenulate to dentate outer margins, creating a delicate, lacy appearance. The fertile portion of the plant develops a triangular sporophore with spreading branches, with the basal pair often turning downward as the plant matures.

Habitat: Saturated hard-water seeps and stream margins

Elevation: 1500-3600 m

Bioregions: NCoRH, CaRH, SNH, SnGb, SnBr, Wrn, SNE

California counties: San Bernardino, Mono, Tulare, Butte, Placer, Tehama, Alpine, Colusa

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.