Angelin vs Common Moonwort

Andira inermis compared with Botrychium lunaria

Key Differences

• Angelin is Least Concern while Common Moonwort is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Angelin	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	Fabales (マメ目)	Ophioglossales (ハナヤスリ目)
Family	Fabaceae	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Andira	Botrychium
Species	Andira inermis	Botrychium lunaria

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Angelin

LC — Least Concern

Common Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Angelin

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, flooded grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Chad, Guinea), Asia (India, Singapore), North America (Cuba), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

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.

Angelin

The Angelin (Andira inermis) is a species in the genus Andira. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, flooded grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic and Indom.

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.