Taxon Report

Botrychium neolunaria Stensvold & Farrar

North American moonwort

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Botrychium neolunaria, commonly known as North American moonwort, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Ophioglossaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 1980 to 3415 meters. Botrychium neolunaria is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Botrychium neolunaria Stensvold & Farrar
Common Name:	North American moonwort
Family:	Ophioglossaceae
Element Code:	PPOPH01280
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Botrychium lunaria (L.) Sw.

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Sep	Jun-Sep
Elevation:	1980-3415 (6495-11205)
General Habitats:	Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:	Mesic, Rocky (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	USFS_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	7
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	2
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	3

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Modoc (MOD), Mono (MNO), Nevada (NEV), Tuolumne (TUO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Davis Creek (4112063), Dunderberg Peak (3811913), Hobart Mills (3912042), Lee Vining (3711981), Mt. Bidwell (4112082), Warren Peak (4112042)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	4
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	5	71 %
Grazing	3	42%
Other	1	14%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	14%
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime	1	14%

Notes



NEV Co. occurrence may not be correctly identified.
Threats:
Possibly threatened by grazing.
Taxonomy:
Previously confused with the European B. lunaria. The allotetraploid B. yaaxudakeit is similar but larger and has thick and dark pinnae that overlap the rachis.

Selected References

Non-Substantive Name Change: Botrychium lunaria to Botrychium neolunaria (2022)

Brittonia 69(2): 168 (2016)

Botrychium neolunaria account for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2023)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 6 November 2025].