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Botrychium matricariifolium
Botrychium matriicarifolium (Daisyleaf Moonwort) a small fern in the Adder's Tongue family that is a sort of spring ephemeral. It produces one frond pre year which is a combination of a spore leaf (sporophore) and a photosynthetic leaf (tropophore) per year. These emerge in early spring, quickly uncoil, develop spores which are then shed about a month later. Then the frond yellows and dies while the rest of the plant, a small subterranean stem, goes dormant until next year. There are several fronds on the stem in various stages of development with each just below the one above it.
Botrychium matriicarifolium grows in open habitats with little competing overhead vegetation with sandy soil. It can sometimes be found in open-canopied pine forests or rich hardwood forests near vernal ponds. The plants do not seem to be long-lived but under the right conditions (frequent removal of shrubs and trees) colonies can persist for decades such as the one where this one was found.
Leaf shape is variable in Botrychium matriicarifolium and it can sometimes be confused with other less common Moonwort species.
''Botrychium matricariifolium'' is a common species of fern known by the common names chamomile grape-fern, daisyleaf grape-fern, and matricary grape-fern. It is native to Europe and parts of eastern North America, including eastern Canada and parts of the United States.
This fleshy fern grows up to 30 centimeters tall. It produces dull green sterile leaf blades up to 10 centimeters long by 9 wide divided into a few pairs of segments. The fertile leaves are a bit longer and bear the spores.
