Taxon Report

Botrychium yaaxudakeit Stensvold & Farrar

giant moonwort

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Botrychium yaaxudakeit, commonly known as giant moonwort, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Ophioglossaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Alpine boulder and rock field, growing at elevations from 3200 to 3200 meters. Botrychium yaaxudakeit is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Botrychium yaaxudakeit Stensvold & Farrar
Common Name:
giant moonwort
Family: Ophioglossaceae
Element Code: PPOPH01180
USDA Plants Symbol: BOYA
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Aug Aug
Elevation: 3200-3200 (10500-10500)
General Habitats: Alpine boulder and rock field
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details: Limestone and marble

Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank: 2B.1
Global Rank: G3G4
State Rank:
S1
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: USFS_S
CRPR Changes:
  • changed from 2.1 to 2B.1 on 2013-06-12
  • added to 2.1 on 2012-03-05

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 1
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 1
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Tuolumne (TUO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Dunderberg Peak (3811913)

Notes

Discovered in CA in 2007 by Alison Colwell; known only from Virginia Canyon in Yosemite NP. Similar to B. lunaria. Not in The Jepson Manual (1993). See American Fern Journal 92(2):150-160 (2002) for original description.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed Addition to CRPR 2.1, G3G4 / S1 (2012)
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 January 2025].