E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Botrychium virginianum (L.) Sw.
rattlesnake fern
Ophioglossaceae (Adder's-tongue family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Botrychium virginianum
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Species Information

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Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

General:
Deciduous perennial, (5) 10-40 cm tall.

Sporophores:
2-pinnate, 0.5-1.5 times length of trophophores.

Trophophores:
Triangular, unstalked, deciduous, thin, herbaceous, divided in 3's or 3- to 4-pinnate, up to 25-35 cm long and about as wide; pinnae to 12 pairs, approximate to overlapping; pinnules lanceolate with saw-toothed margins and pointed tips.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Blooming Period:
Late Spring

Source: The USDA

Habitat / Range

Mesic to wet alluvial forests and swamps and river banks in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent throughout BC; circumpolar, N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S throughout all of the U.S.; Eurasia.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Botrychium virginianum

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information	Value / Class
Site Information	Minimum	Average	Maximum
Elevation (metres)	18	861	1890
Slope Gradient (%)	0	10	205
Aspect (degrees) [0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]	1	195	360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric]	2	5	8
Modal Nutrient Regime Class	D
Number of field plots species was recorded in:	264
Modal BEC Zone Class	ICH
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in:	BWBS(6), CWH(20), ESSF(10), ICH(131), IDF(10), MS(14), PP(1), SBPS(6), SBS(51)
Source: Klinkenberg 2020

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is montane boreal & cool temperate.

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S5	Yellow	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer, the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Botrychium virginianum subsp. europaeum (Angstr.) Jáv.
Botrychium virginianum subsp. virginianum
Botrychium virginianum var. europaeum Angstr.
Botrypus virginianus

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Ophioglossaceae
Flora North America treatment for Botrychium virginianum
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
International Plant Names Index
Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
Google Image Search
Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
General Botanical References for BC

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2021-03-06 6:17:36 AM ]

Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.