Huperzia australiana
Huperzia australiana is a species of small terrestrial plant, a firmoss, in the Lycopodiaceae (clubmoss) family. It is native to Australia and New Zealand.
| Huperzia australiana | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Lycophytes |
| Class: | Lycopodiopsida |
| Order: | Lycopodiales |
| Family: | Lycopodiaceae |
| Genus: | Huperzia |
| Species: | H. australiana |
| Binomial name | |
| Huperzia australiana (Herter) Holub | |
| Synonyms | |
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Distribution and habitat
The plant occurs at sheltered sites in subalpine and subantarctic regions, in grasslands and around bogs, up to 2000 m above sea level.[1]
Description
Huperzia australiana has decumbent stems with densely tufted, erect branches up to 300 mm long, usually branched 2 or 3 times. The leaves are crowded, appressed to spreading, 5–9 mm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide in the middle and tapering to a point. It reproduces vegetatively through the often numerous small bulbils which form along the stem. The sporophylls are similar to the foliage leaves; no strobili are formed; the bright yellow, kidney-shaped sporangia are produced in the upper leaf axils.[1]
References
- Wilson, Peter G.; Chinnock, R.J. (2000). "Huperzia australiana (Herter) Holub". PlantNET. National Herbarium of NSW: Sydney. Retrieved 2013-02-24.