Arctic grass vs Common Moonwort

Arctagrostis latifolia compared with Botrychium lunaria

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic grass	Common Moonwort
Kingdom same	Plantae (植物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)	Tracheophyta
Class	Liliopsida (単子葉植物綱)	Polypodiopsida (ウラボシ綱)
Order	Poales (イネ目)	Ophioglossales (ハナヤスリ目)
Family	Poaceae (Grass Family)	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Arctagrostis	Botrychium
Species	Arctagrostis latifolia	Botrychium lunaria

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Arctic grass

NT — Near Threatened

Common Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic grass	Common 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.

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.

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.

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 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden