Taxon Report

Botrychium lineare W.H. Wagner

slender moonwort

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Taxon Summary

Botrychium lineare, commonly known as slender moonwort, is a perennial herb in the Ophioglossaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Meadows and seeps, Subalpine coniferous forest, and Upper montane coniferous forest (often disturbed areas), growing at elevations from 2560 to 2600 meters. Botrychium lineare is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Botrychium lineare W.H. Wagner
Common Name:	slender moonwort
Family:	Ophioglossaceae
Element Code:	PPOPH01120
USDA Plants Symbol:	BOLI7
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Unk	Unk
Elevation:	2560-2600 (8400-8530)
General Habitats:	Meadows and seeps, Subalpine coniferous forest, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	USFS_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 1B.3 to 1B.1 on 2015-03-23

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	5
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	4

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Fresno (FRE), Mono (MNO), Tulare (TUL), Tuolumne (TUO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Dunderberg Peak (3811913), Haiwee Pass (3611821), Kaiser Peak (3711932), Monache Mountain (3611822), Mt. Henry (3711827), Olancha (3611831), Templeton Mtn. (3611832)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	2
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	20 %
Foot traffic/trampling	1	20%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	20%

Notes



Threatened by fire suppression, grazing, mining, non-native plants, urbanization, logging, habitat disturbance, and foot traffic. Not in TJM 1993. Endangered in OR, and state-listed as Sensitive in WA. See American Fern Journal 84(1):5 (1994) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 1 November 2025].