Arctic grass vs Shade Moonwort

Arctagrostis latifolia compared with Botrychium tenebrosum

Key Differences

• Arctic grass is Near Threatened while Shade Moonwort is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic grass	Shade Moonwort
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Tracheophyta
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)
Family	Poaceae (Grass Family)	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Arctagrostis	Botrychium
Species	Arctagrostis latifolia	Botrychium tenebrosum

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic grass and Shade Moonwort share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Arctic grass

NT — Near Threatened

Shade Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic grass	Shade Moonwort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic grass

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Shade Moonwort

Habitat

Inhabits boreal forests and taiga within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Arctic grass

The Arctic grass (Arctagrostis latifolia) is a species in the genus Arctagrostis. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden