Sceptridium lunarioides (Michaux) Holub. Section: Hiemobotrychium. Winter Grapefern. Phen: Jan-Apr. Hab: Old fields, pastures, young forests, granitic flatrocks, juniper-oak-blue ash woodlands over limestone, cemeteries. Dist: Wc. NC, c. TN, and s. SC south to n. FL, and west to e. TX and se. OK.

ID notes:The species is hard to spot, and all the more difficult to find because of its phenology; the leaves appear in late fall and die by early spring.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Taxonomy Comments: Wagner (1992) proposed that Botrychium lunarioides be treated in a new monotypic section, Hiemobotrychium, of Botrychium, subgenus Sceptridium. Zhang et al. (2020) advocated its placement in a monotypic genus, Holubiella. Its apparent involvement in the generation of the allopolyploid species Sceptridium jenmanii seems a compelling reason to retain the species in Sceptridium.

Synonymy: = K3, K4; = Botrychium lunarioides (Michx.) Sw. – Ar, ETx1, Fl1, FNA2, K1, RAB, TxFerns, WH3; = Botrypus lunarioides Michx.; = Holubiella lunarioides (Michx.) Škoda – Cao & Hauk (2022), Zhang & Zhang (2022), Zhang et al (2020)

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Heliophily: 7