The stalk and blade of Botrychium mormo are very succullent
(fleshy). Large plants may be up to 8 cm tall, but the visible
portion is often 4 cm or less. Some small plants may remain
covered by the layer of dead leaves on the forest floor,
apparently receiving nourishment from associated fungi in the
soil during such periods. The geographic distribution is also
very irregular, in some cases the visible plants of a population
consisting of only one or a few individuals. All these factors
add up to a species that can be very difficult to find and to
identify. Small plants in particular could be mistaken for B.
simplex or even the smaller individuals of B. matricariifolium.
B. mormo is found mainly in fairly mature deciduous forests,
often dominated by Acer saccharum (sugar maple). B. mormo is
known only from northeastern Minnesota and the northern portions
of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is listed as "endangered" in
Wisconsin where it is known only from the northern counties.