Ferns 2026

Moonworts 2 Triangular Moonwort

The second most common Moonwort that Randy and I see is the Triangular Moonwort (Botrychium angustisegmentum). Fortunately, from the time they start coming up one can differentiate the Triangular Moonwort from the Daisy-leaf Moonwort by the angle of the sterile leaf, which usually comes out at almost a right angle on the Triangular Moonwort. The sterile leaf of the Daisy-leaf Moonwort is more upright and close to the sporophore. The shape of the sterile leaves are somewhat different as well (Daisy-leaf has blunter and more rounded edges), but that may be harder to see clearly when they are very small (under an inch).

This photo is from May 2025. I use it because I thought it helpful to see this fern at a slightly larger size than what they are like presently this year, and to include a hand for scale. The sporophores look similar to the Grape Ferns (Sceptridium genus) and the Rattlesnake Fern (Botrypus genus). They are all in the same Family, Ophioglossaceae, which is the Adder's Tongue Family. I have not seen an Adder's Tongue in the wild yet, but I hope to sometime!

We are gearing up for the Fern Field Season now. Check out our calendar page for Fern Walks and Workshops that we have scheduled so far. The Fern Walks are free, but the Workshops do require registration and a fee to the sponsoring group. Next Fern Walk is the one geared For Beginners on Sunday June 7 from 1-2PM. We are meeting in the Mt Toby parking lot on Reservation Rd in Sunderland and taking an easy walk along Tower Rd. It is intended to provide attendees with the key features to look for to identify the 10 most common ferns in our area. See the poster link on the calendar listing (or in the Downloads section of the website under "Fern Walk Announcements") for details.

Happy Ferning! Please let us know if you find any Moonworts! We would love to see them!

Posted: to PV Fern News on Mon, Jun 1, 2026
Updated: Mon, Jun 1, 2026