Re: VMS -- Botany (f94r) Botrychium lunaria,Finland

[Philip Marshall <philip.marshall@xxxxxxxx>]

I am fascinated. In 1944, Hugh O'Neill identified an illustration of
Botrychium lunaria on folio 100 verso -- how do they compare? (I don't
have copies of either one on hand at the moment.) I have also wondered
myself if the plant on folio 35 verso might be an Ophioglossaceous fern as
well. Is there a widespread folk tradition in Europe identifying
Botrychium lunaria with the moon? Apart from the English common name
"moonwort", the Latin binomial, penned by a Swede, Carolus Linnaeus,
suggests that indeed there may be.

Philip Marshall

On Fri, 4 May 2001, Dana F. Scott wrote:

> It seems to me that Botrychium lunaria is a reasonable match for this
> plant with its trophophore lamina leaf-like opposing appendages. Who
> would believe this is a fern? This Moonwort (Ophioglossaceae) is also
> referred to as grapefern. You can find it in the beautiful Siitama
> meadow in Finland. Except for the 'grapes' which are not a perfert match
> I think we are on the right track here.
>
> Photo:
> http://www.terra.hu/haznov/jpg/Botrychium.lunaria.1.html
> http://ifdf.free.fr/containers/detail/1998070506_gen.htm
> http://murman.ru/flora/data/1200034.html
> http://www.com-nature.com/~fougere-fern/libraryGB/fernpagesGBtext/botrycheGB.htm
>
> http://www.em.ca/garden/nat_botrychium_lunaria.html
> http://www.terra.hu/haznov/htm/Botrychium.lunaria.html
> http://herba.msu.ru/images/Ophioglossaceae/Botrychium_Sw./lunaria_Sw./1.jpg
>
> http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/dcs420/c/hdw130299os.jpg
>
> Botrychium species: (Siitama meadow in Finland; page down for species
> selections)
> http://www.helsinki.fi/~korpela/botrychium_meadow.html
>
> Botrychium matricariifolium:
> http://www.helsinki.fi/~korpela/BOTRMATR.HTML
>
> Description:
> http://www.gardenbed.com/B/6779.cfm
> http://www.lineone.net/dictionaryof/animalsplants/m0049532.html
> http://www.or.blm.gov/surveyandmanage/MR/VascularPlants/section4.htm
>
> Illustration:
> http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~stueber/lindman/511.jpg
>
> Scientific Classification:
> http://www.bf.uni-lj.si/ag/fito/sistemat/rastline/8Botrychium.htm
>
> Regards,
> Dana Scott
>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philip Marshall
Yale University
School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

tel: +1(203)436-2137
email: philip.marshall@xxxxxxxx or pmm8@xxxxxxxxxxx

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