Species profile—Huperzia varia (long clubmoss)
Classification
Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Lycopodiaceae → Huperzia varia (long clubmoss)
Species details
- Kingdom
- Plantae (plants)
- Class
- Equisetopsida (land plants)
- Family
- Lycopodiaceae
- Scientific name
- Huperzia varia (R.Br.) Trevis.
- Common name
- long clubmoss
- WildNet taxon ID
- 16738
- Superseded by
- Phlegmariurus varius (03/04/2019)
- Conservation significant
- No
- Confidential
- Yes
- Endemicity
- Exotic
- Pest status
- Nil
- Description
- Huperzia varia is a clubmoss that grows on the ground or on rocks. The tufted branches are erect, drooping toward the end, branched one to several times and reaching 8-35cm long. The sterile leaves (lacking spores) are spirally arranged around the stem and angled at 60-90 degrees. They are linear to lance-shaped, 9-18mm long, 1-3mm wide and deep green to yellowish-green coloured. The texture and thickness of the leaves is variable and the margins are entire, often thickened.
The transition from the sterile zone to the zone bearing spores may be gradual or abrupt. The spore bearing zone is 4-18cm long and 3.5-4.5mm in diameter. The sporophylls (leaves bearing spores) are variable; they may be linear to lance-shaped and shorter than the sterile leaves, up to 10mm long, smaller towards the end of the branch; or they may be ovate to triangular in shape, 2-2.5mm long by 1.5-2mm wide, arranged in four rows, overlapping and lying flat. The spore cases occupy one-tenth to the entire sporophylls length. (Chinncok 1998) - Habitat
- Huperzia varia grows on the ground or on mossy boulders, rock outcrops, in rock crevices, on steep rocky slopes and in pavement areas. It occurs along creek banks and drainage lines, in low open moss/fern vine thicket, heathland, shrubland with grassy understorey, forest on steep hillside and in subalpine scrub or forest. (Chinncok 1998; Herbrecs 2008)
- Management documents
- Conservation and management of protected plants in trade in Queensland 1995-1998. Department of Environment.
- Notes
- Contributors: Peter Bostock, Mellisa Mayhew 16/02/2009
- References
- Chinnock, R.J. in McCarthy, P.M. (Ed) (1998). Flora of Australia 48: 81-82.
Herbrecs (2008). Huperzia varia, in BriMapper version 2.12. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 03/10/2008. - Profile author
- Peter Bostock (16/02/2009)
Other resources
Data source
This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=16738.
This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.
