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Botrychium lunaria

Common name:	Common Moonwort	Family:	Ophioglossaceae
Author:	(L.)Sw.	Botanical references:	17, 200
Synonyms:	Osmunda lunaria (L.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Widely distributed in arctic and temperate zones of Europe, Asia and Australasia.
Habitat:	Dry grassland and rock ledges[17], usually on peaty soils[4].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	B. lunaria var. onondagense[B,P] B. onondagense[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Common Moonwort [B,P], Gazel Dili [E], Gelobde Maanvaren [D], Lunaria Menor [E], Moonwort [H,E,L],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ophioglossales. Adder's-tongue family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Europe; Spain; Turkey

Physical Characteristics

Fern growing to 0.1m. It is hardy to zone 2. The seeds ripen from June to August. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Meadow, Walls.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Moonwort has a long reputation as a vulnerary herb, the leaves are used externally as an ointment or taken internally[4, 240]. They are also used in the treatment of ruptures and dysentery[240].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a moist free-draining soil[1].
The prothalli (small plants formed when the spores germinate) of this species form a symbiotic relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus in much the same way as orchid seedlings[200].
Plants can be hard to establish, they can be naturalized in a meadow or cultivated in the border where they should be left undisturbed[200].
Unlike most species of ferns, the fronds of this species grow up straight and not curled inward, crozier fashion[4].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Spores - best surface sown as soon as they are ripe in a greenhouse and do not allow the compost to dry out. Placing the pot in a plastic bag helps to maintain a humid atmosphere which promotes germination and growth. Prick out small clumps into pots when they are large enough to handle and keep moist until established. Grow on in a greenhouse for at least the first winter and plant out in late spring.
Division. It is best not to try and disturb this plant[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[L] Scientific and Common Names (some photos) from Lepidoptera and some other life forms
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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