Species profile—Huperzia marsupiiformis
Classification
Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Lycopodiaceae → Huperzia marsupiiformis
Species details
- Kingdom
- Plantae (plants)
- Class
- Equisetopsida (land plants)
- Family
- Lycopodiaceae
- Scientific name
- Huperzia marsupiiformis (D.L.Jones & B.Gray) Holub
- WildNet taxon ID
- 9585
- Superseded by
- Phlegmariurus delbrueckii (03/04/2019)
- Conservation significant
- No
- Confidential
- Yes
- Endemicity
- Exotic
- Pest status
- Nil
- Description
- Huperzia marsupiiformis is an epiphytic fern; it lives on another plant without deriving nutrients from it. The tufted branches are pendulous, up to 60cm long and branched one to several times. The sterile portions (leaves lacking spores) of the branches are 1-1.5cm in diameter, including the leaves. Leaves are arranged in four rows and angled at 45-90 degrees to the stem. The leaves are thin, firm, ovate in shape, 5-7mm long by 1.8-3mm wide and pale green to yellowish-green in colour.
The transition from the sterile zone to the sporogenous zone (part of the plant bearing spores) is abrupt. The sporogenous zone is 5-25cm long, 2-3mm in diameter and forked one to several times. The sporophylls (leaves bearing spores) are overlapping and arranged opposite along the stem. They are oval- to roughly diamond-shaped, 2.5-3.5mm long and 1.5-2mm wide. The spore cases occupy one-third to one-half of the sporophylls length. (Chinnock 1998; DEWHA 2008) - Habitat
- Huperzia marsupiiformis grows on trees or rocks in closed rainforest and complex vine forest above 800m above sea level. It has been recorded on slopes, near watercourses and often in forests with granite boulders. (Chinnock 1998; DEWHA 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: 83-84.
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). Huperzia marsupiiformis in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Accessed 02/10/2008. http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/sprat.pl
Herbrecs (2008). Huperzia marsupiiformis, in BriMapper version 2.12. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 02/10/2008. - 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=9585.
This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.
