Botrychium lunaria (L.) Sw.

Spice In the field

Family: OPHIOGLOSSACEAE

Genus: Botrychium

Catalan common name: Llunària.

Spanish common name: Botritis. Lunaria. Lunaria menor.

Province distribution: Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Boreo-alpine

Uses and properties: Medicinal.

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Geophyte.

Habitats: Alpine grasslands.

Characteristics: Preferably alpine silicicoles (acidophiles) but also rocky places, hygroturbic places, mesophilic pastures, etc. A small rhizomatous fern that only produces one frond a year. This has two parts: one fertile or sporophore and the other sterile or trophophore. This later is laminar in shape and is divided into 3-9 pairs of half-moon shaped segments. The sporophore is a branched structure and on these branches the sporangii are borne.