Huperzia appalachiana

Appalachian Clubmoss

Appalachian Clubmoss
Photo courtesy Wisconsin State Herbarium
and Emmet J. Judziewicz

Flora, fauna, earth, and sky...
The natural history of the northwoods

Name:

• Huperzia, for Johann Peter Huperz (d. 1816) a German fern horticulturist
• appalachiana, "of the Appalachians"
• Common name from the eastern mountains where this clubmoss is found, though it is absent from the central Appalachians.
• Other common names include Appalachian Fir-clubmoss, Mountain Fir-moss, Lycopode des Appalaches (Qué)

Taxonomy:

• Kingdom Plantae, the Plants
  • Division Lycopodiophyta, the Club Mosses
    • Class Lycopodiopsida, the Club Mosses
      • Order Lycopodiales, the Club Mosses
        • Family Lycopodiaceae, the Club Mosses
          • Genus Huperzia, the Fir Club Mosses
• Taxonomic Serial Number: 507547
• Hybridizes with both of the more common North Country Huperzia, Shining Clubmoss (Huperzia lucidula) and Fir Clubmoss (Huperzia selago).

Description:

• A compact, clustered clubmoss of the North Shore and Superior Highlands.
• Roots produced in tip of shoot, growing downward in cortex to emerge at soil level.
• Shoots erect, clustered, 2½"-4" tall; leaves of mature upper portion markedly smaller than leaves in juvenile lower portion; annual constrictions absent. Bulblet bearing branchlets produced throughout mature portion.
• Leaves narrowly triangular with smooth edges, green to yellow green, not lustrous. Stomates present on both surfaces, numerous (35-60 per half leaf) on upper surface.
  • leaves on juvenile, lower portion of stem larger (4mm-6mm); ascending to spreading in form
  • leaves on mature, upper portion of stem smaller (2mm-3.5mm); ascending to appressed
• Bulblets (gemmae) 3-4mm x 2.5-3.5mm

Identification:

• Identifiable as Huperzia by
  • absence of horizontal stems
  • clustered upright shoots; not tree-like
  • absence of spore-bearing cones
• Distinguished from other North Country Huperzia species by
  • leaves about 1/8" long with smooth edges (H. lucidula has larger, 3/8" leaves with toothed edges)
  • shoots about 4" long (H. lucidula has longer, 6" shoots)
  • shoots without annual constrictions (H. selago and H. porophila have weak annual constrictions)
  • more than 30 stomates per half-leaf on upper surface (H. porophila has 25 or fewer)

Distribution:

• Several non-contiguous areas of eastern North America, including Greenland, Labrador, Newfoundland, the Gaspé, Nova Scotia, New England, the southern Appalachians, and the shores of Lake Superior; possibly Europe.
• In our area, not likely to be found very far inland from Superior.

Habitat:

• On damp, acidic, igneous rocks; exposed cliffs and talus slopes.

Fire:

Associates:

History:

Uses:

Reproduction:

• By spores.
• Huperzia species also reproduce by bulblets (gemma) produced at base of upper leaves which, when mature, fall to ground and sprout to form new plants.

Propagation:

• Very difficult.

Cultivation:

• Clubmosses can make attractive ground covers, but they do not transplant well.

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