Botrychium minganense

Mingan moonwort

Family: Ophioglossaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Mingan moonwort is a California native perennial with a rare (CNPS 4.2) status found in the high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Warner Mountains in moist meadows and open forests along streams and seeps at elevations of 1,500 to 3,100 meters. This delicate fern produces a dull green, firm leaf blade 2 to 5 centimeters long, with 3 to 6 pairs of fan-shaped pinnae that have converging side margins. Growing with a common stalk approximately equal in length to its trophophore, the moonwort has a distinctive linear to slightly ovate leaf structure. Its leaf pinnae feature side margins that meet at 90 to 100 degree angles, with outer margins that are either entire or coarsely toothed. The sporophore stalk extends beyond the trophophore, bearing branches and sporangia in a precise, linear arrangement.

Habitat: Moist meadows, open forests along streams and seeps

Elevation: 1500-3100 m

Bioregions: CaRH, SNH, Wrn

California counties: San Bernardino, Tulare, Plumas, Butte, Tehama, Tuolumne

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