Bloodwort vs Common Moonwort

Achillea millefolium compared with Botrychium lunaria

Key Differences

• Bloodwort is Least Concern while Common Moonwort is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bloodwort	Common Moonwort
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Achillea	Botrychium
Species	Achillea millefolium	Botrychium lunaria

Evolutionary Relationship

Bloodwort and Common Moonwort share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Bloodwort

LC — Least Concern

Common Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bloodwort	Common Moonwort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bloodwort

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (4 countries), Europe (10 countries), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (4 countries).

Common Moonwort

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Bloodwort

The Bloodwort (Achillea millefolium) is a species in the genus Achillea. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Neotropic and Palearctic real

Common Moonwort

Common Moonwort (<em>Botrychium lunaria</em>) is a small fern in the genus <em>Botrychium</em>, family Ophioglossaceae. It is distributed across Asia, Europe, and North America, with confirmed presence in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, as well as Taiwan and the United States. The species is typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies. Common Moonwort is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it faces significant conservation challenges across its range. Its distinctive frond is divided into two parts: a sterile fan-shaped leaf portion with rounded lobes resembling a crescent moon, and a fertile spike bearing spore-bearing structures. As a fern ally rather than a flowering plant, it reproduces via spores rather than seeds. The species is associated with stable, undisturbed habitats including ancient grasslands, upland heaths, and rocky slopes. Its sensitivity to habitat disturbance and changes in land management are thought to contribute to population declines. Specific biological measurements such as lifespan and dimensions are not documented in available records.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 7 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇺🇸 United States