Sceptridium dissectum (Sprengel) Lyon. Section: Sceptridium. Cut-leaf Grape Fern, Dissected Grapefern. Phen: Aug-Oct. Hab: Moist forests, clearings, old fields. Dist: NS and QC west to ON and MI, south to Panhandle FL and e. TX; also in the West Indies.

ID notes:The dissected form of this species is distinctive, with the ultimate segments tending to end in two sharp cusps. The less dissected form is difficult to distinguish from Sceptridium biternatum (southwards) and Sceptridium oneidense (northwards).

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: The two forms have caused much confusion. In our area, forma obliquum is much more common and widely distributed, and is easily and often confused with B. biternatum. Forma dissectum is fairly common in our area only northwards and in the Mountains. The different distributions of the two forms suggest that further research is needed; Barker & Hauk (2003) found little genetic differentiation between the two forms, however.

Synonymy: = K4, Tn, Va, Cao & Hauk (2022); = Botrychium dissectum Spreng. – Ar, C, ETx1, FNA2, K1, Mo1, NE, NY, Pa, RAB, TxFerns, W, WV, Barker & Hauk (2003); = n/a – Tx; < Botrychium biternatum (Savigny) Underw. – Fl1; < Botrychium dissectum Spreng. – WH3; > Botrychium dissectum Spreng. – Sf; < Botrychium dissectum Spreng. var. dissectum – F; > Botrychium dissectum Spreng. var. dissectum – G, GrPl, Tat; > Botrychium dissectum Spreng. var. obliquum (Muhl. ex Willd.) Clute – G, GrPl, Tat; > Botrychium dissectum Spreng. var. oblongifolium (Graves) Broun; > Botrychium obliquum Muhl. ex Willd. – S13, Sf; > Sceptridium dissectum (Spreng.) Lyon var. dissectum – Il; > Sceptridium dissectum (Spreng.) Lyon var. obliquum (Muhl. ex Willd.) Mohlenbr. – Il

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC
• Great Plains: FAC
• Midwest: FAC
• Northcentral & Northeast: FAC

Heliophily: 5