Aconite vs Common Moonwort

Aconitum napellus compared with Botrychium lunaria

Key Differences

• Aconite is Critically Endangered while Common Moonwort is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Aconite	Common Moonwort
Kingdom same	Plantae (植物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)	Polypodiopsida (ウラボシ綱)
Order	Ranunculales (キンポウゲ目)	Ophioglossales (ハナヤスリ目)
Family	Ranunculaceae	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Aconitum	Botrychium
Species	Aconitum napellus	Botrychium lunaria

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Aconite

CR — Critically Endangered

Common Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Aconite

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (12 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Aconite

The Aconite (Aconitum napellus) is a species in the genus Aconitum. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also fo.

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States