Botrychium pumicola

Pumice moonwort, Pumice Moonwort

Family: Ophioglossaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Pumice moonwort is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the northern California Cascades near Mount Shasta and Diller Canyon in open volcanic soils at elevations of 2,700 to 2,800 meters. Its distinctive fern-like fronds emerge with a yellowish-green blade divided into three intricate pinnate parts, with pinnae that broadly overlap and touch each other. Growing to approximately 3 to 4 centimeters tall, this delicate moonwort develops a complex leaf structure with 3 to 6 pairs of pinnae that are broadly fan-shaped and strongly attached to the central rachis. Its leaves feature uniquely positioned side margins on basal pinnae that converge at angles ranging from 90 to 180 degrees, creating an intricate geometric pattern. The sporophore emerges with a stalk approximately one-third to seven-tenths the length of the trophophore, bearing a fertile portion that is deltate to triangular with ascending, strongly overlapping branches.

Habitat: Open volcanic soils

Elevation: 2700-2800 m

Bioregions: CaRH (Diller Canyon, Mount Shasta)

California counties: Siskiyou

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