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Taxon  Report  
Botrypus virginianus  (L.) Michx.
Rattlesnake fern
Botrypus virginianus is a fern that is native to California.
California Rare Plant Rank: 2B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA; common elsewhere).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~37 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Botrypus
Family: Ophioglossaceae  
Category: fern  
PLANTS group:Fern
Jepson eFlora section: fern

Wetlands: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS

Alternate Names:
JEF + CNPSBotrychium virginianum
PLANTSBotrychium virginianum
Information about  Botrypus virginianus from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

Photos on Calflora

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Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Monotypic, Habitat: It is monotypic within the genus Botrypus, meaning that it is the only species within the genus. It is called the rattlesnake fern in some parts of North America, due to its habit of growing in places where rattlesnakes are also found.[3][4] Rattlesnake fern prefers to grow in rich, moist woods in dense shade and will not tolerate direct sunlight. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/01/2024).