ZIKA, PETER* AND KATHLEEN E. AHLENSLAGER. Herbarium, Department of Botany, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5325; Colville National Forest, Colville, WA 99114. - Conservation status of Ophioglossaceae in the western United States.
In the western region of the contiguous United States the
Ophioglossaceae are represented by three species of
Ophioglossum and twenty-two described species of
Botrychium. In the latter there are twenty species in the
moonwort subgenus Botrychium, B. multifidum in the
grapefern subgenus Sceptridium and B. virginianum, the
rattlesnake fern, in the subgenus Osmundopteris. This region
supports the greatest number of moonwort species in the world,
including at least two species as yet undescribed. Because of
morphological diversity within species and sometimes subtle
differences between species, the moonworts present challenging
taxonomic problems. A number of Ophioglossaceae species are listed as
endangered, threatened or of special concern in one or more states.
Special problems regarding the conservation of rare Ophioglossaceae in
the western US are discussed.
Key words: Botrychium, conservation management, moonwort, Ophioglossaceae, Ophioglossum