Taxon Details

Botrychium rubellum

red lanceolate moonwort

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Taxon Summary:

Botrychium rubellum, commonly known as red lanceolate moonwort, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Ophioglossaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1490 to 1524 meters. Botrychium rubellum is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification

Scientific Name: Botrychium rubellum Farrar & Stensvold
Common Name: red lanceolate moonwort
Family:	Ophioglossaceae
Element Code:	PPOPH012C0
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:
Name Status:	JEF, FNA, POWO, IPNI, Tropicos

Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.1
Fed List:	None
State List:	None
Global Rank:
State Rank:
Other Status:
CRPR Changes: added to 2B.1 on 2026-05-13
Add Date:	2026-05-13
Date Edited:	2026-05-13

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial rhizomatous herb

Blooming Period:

Elevation:
1490 - 1524 meters
4890 - 5000 feet

General Habitats:

Lower montane coniferous forest

Microhabitat Details: Volcanic sediments in damp soil along stream edges.

Microhabitat:

Streambanks
Volcanic

Notes

Notes: Discovered in CA by M. Hanisko in 2020.
Threats: Potentially threatened by erosion.
Taxonomy: Described in 2024 as a segregate of B. lanceolatum, which the CA were previously identified as; B. lanceolatum s.s. does not occur in CA.

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

THREAT LIST:
Threat List Total:	0
	Total EOs	% of EOs
EOs with Threat Listed:	0	0 %

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Element Occurrence Ranks:
Total Occurrences:					0
A	B	C	D	X	U
0	0	0	0	0	0

Occurrence Status:
Historical >20 Years	0
Recent <=20 Years	0

Presence:
Presumed Extant	0
Possibly Extirpated	0
Presumed Extirpated	0

Location

California Endemic:

California Island:

States: Name (Code)
Alaska (AK), California (CA), Colorado (CO), New Mexico (NM), Oregon (OR), Washington (WA), Wyoming (WY)

California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)

Quads: Name (Quad Code)

Notes:

Definitions of codes following a county and/or quad:
*		Presumed extirpated
(?)		Occurrence confirmed, but possibly extirpated
Quad and county data is imported from the CNDDB. Species may be present in other areas where conditions are favorable. These data should NOT be substituted for pre-project review or for on-site surveys.

Regional Map

Map

Location Data is Forthcoming from the CNDDB

Presumed Extant

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CNPS Status Review:	Proposed addition to CRPR 2B.1, GNR / S1 (2026)
Original Description:	American Fern Journal 114(1): 49-56 (2024)

CNPS Rare Plant Inventory