Botrychium tunux

Moosewort

Family: Ophioglossaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1

Moosewort is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native perennial found in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, specifically around Mount Hoffman in Mariposa County, in well-drained rocky meadows at elevations of 3,600 meters. Without specific flowering time data, the description focuses on its distinctive fern-like characteristics. Growing with a delicate, pale green to yellowish-green frond, this fern has a compact structure with 3 to 6 pairs of oblong to rounded pinnae that are well-spaced or slightly overlapping. Its trophophore (leaf blade) is ovate, with pinnae having entire to finely crenate outer margins that converge at angles between 45 and 120 degrees. The sporophore emerges about half to slightly longer than the trophophore length, with spreading to slightly ascending fertile pinnae that contribute to its intricate botanical architecture.

Habitat: Well-drained, rocky meadows

Elevation: 3600 m

Bioregions: c SNH (Mount Hoffman, Mariposa Co.)

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