Botrychium lunaria (L.) Sw.

Native

Moonwort is a small fern, often occurring singly or in small populations. It prefers well-drained sites, usually with a high base-content, although it can occur on more acidic substrates. Habitats include meadows, pastures, open woodland, sand dunes and grassy rock ledges. It can also colonise slag heaps and quarry spoil (A. C. Jermy in Preston et al, 2002).

It is possibly that Moonwort is extinct in Norfolk - it was last recorded in Wells in 1996 and Weeting in 1993. Earlier records are rather few and far between. Kirby Trimmer (1866) listed eight sites, all in East Norfolk. Nicholson (1914) added six, including five in West Norfolk. Petch & Swann (1968) added five, two in the west and three in the east. The last record in the east was from Denton in 1956.

According to Petch & Swann, the first county record was from East Norfolk at Seething on 1st April 1796 as the subject of plate 318 in Sowerby's 'English Botany'.