boreal moonwort vs Least Moonwort

Botrychium boreale compared with Botrychium simplex

Key Differences

• boreal moonwort is Near Threatened while Least Moonwort is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	boreal moonwort	Least Moonwort
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Tracheophyta	Tracheophyta
Class same	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order same	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)
Family same	Ophioglossaceae	Ophioglossaceae
Genus same	Botrychium	Botrychium
Species	Botrychium boreale	Botrychium simplex

Evolutionary Relationship

boreal moonwort and Least Moonwort share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Botrychium.

Conservation Status

boreal moonwort

NT — Near Threatened

Least Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	boreal moonwort	Least Moonwort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

boreal moonwort

Habitat

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

Range

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

Least 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

Found across Europe (8 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

boreal moonwort

The Boreal moonwort (Botrychium boreale) is a species in the genus Botrychium. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇮🇸 Iceland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden