Rattlesnake Fern – Botrychium virginianum

 

Nomenclature:

  • Botrychium virginianum
  • Family: Ophioglossaceae

 

Botany and Ecology:

  • Habitat: rich woodlands
  • Height: 8-30 inches
  • Location of spores: separate fertile portion of frond, which branches from the sterile portion at the base of the blade
  • Stipe (leaf stalk): smooth, round, and pink at the base
  • Growth pattern: single leaf
  • Persistence: deciduous

·        Distribution:

o       United States: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

    • Canada: AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, VT, NU, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT

 

Uses:

  • Edible:
    • Root is edible

·        Medicinal:

o       Lotion made from the roots can be used on sores, cuts, snakebites, and bruises

o       A tea made from the roots can be used in the treatment of lung ailments and as an expectora

 

Conservation:

 

Markets and Vendors:

 

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