Cut-leaved Grape Fern
(Botrychium dissectum)

Other common names: Cut-leaved Moonwort, Dissected Grape Fern, Ternate Grape Fern

Other scientific names: Botrychium obliquum

French names: Botryche découpé  

Family: Adder's Tongue Family (Ophioglossaceae)

Group: Grape Ferns

Similar species:
  •   Rattlesnake Fern (Botrychium virginianum) - has three leaves (fronds) with the fertile stalk sticking straight up from the junction.

  •   Daisy Leaf Grape Fern (Botrychium matricariifolium)

  •   Leathery Grape Fern (Botrychium multifidum)


Fronds: Evergreen;  Thrice divided

Native/Non-native: Native

Notes: Grape Ferns are difficult to tell apart.

Photographs: 144 photographs available, of which 9 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

  

An entire Cut-leaved Grape Fern plant.

This is a tough fern to ID properly. It closely resembles the other Grape Ferns. The two main differentiators of this species is that the leaf edghes are toothed or dissected, and that new growth appears very late in the season (August or September).

This species comes in two primary forms.

This is f. dissectum, also known as Cut Leaved Grape Fern, in which the leaves have edges that are very toothed.

And this is f. obliquum, also known as Ternate Grape Fern, in which the leaves have somewhat less toothed edges, although they are still toothed.

A pair of Cut-leaved Grape Ferns, one very much smaller than the other.

Leaves.

One way to confirm the ID of this difficult-to-ID fern, is that the new growth appears in late August or September! So it is still fresh looking in late September.
This photo was taken on Oct 5!

The fertile frond of Cut-leaved Grape Fern.

Cut-leaved Grape Fern - Botrychium dissectum f. obliquum

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium, Burlington, Ontario)

Cut-leaved Grape Fern - Botrychium dissectum f. dissectum

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium, Burlington, Ontario)
  

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