Flora of North America species comparison

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Huperzia lucidula

huperzie brillant, shining clubmoss, shining fir-moss
Gemmiferous branchlets

produced in 1 pseudowhorl at end of each annual growth cycle;

gemmae 4–6 × 3–6 mm, lateral leaves 1.5–2.5 mm wide, broadly obtuse with distinct mucro.
Shoots

erect, indeterminate, 14–20(–100) cm, becoming long-decumbent, with long, trailing, senescent portion turning brown;

juvenile and mature portions similar with strong annual constrictions due to formation of winter bud;

juvenile growth erect.
Leaves

spreading to reflexed, dark green, lustrous;

largest leaves narrowly obovate, leaves broadest at or above middle, 7–11 mm, margins papillate, teeth 1–8, irregular, large;

smallest leaves (at annual constrictions) narrowly lanceolate, 3–6 mm;

stomates on abaxial surface only.
Spores

23–29 µm. 2n = 134.

Huperzia lucidula
Habitat Terrestrial in shaded conifer forests and mixed hardwoods, rarely on rock on shady mossy acidic sandstone
Elevation 0–1800 m (0–5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM
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Discussion

Huperzia × bartleyi (Cusick) Kartesz & Gandhi, a sterile hybrid between H. lucidula and H. porophila, occurs throughout the range of H. porophila and is discussed under that species. Huperzia × buttersii (Abbe) Kartesz & Gandhi is a hybrid between H. lucidula and H. selago.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Lycopodiaceae > Huperzia
Sibling taxa
H. appalachiana, H. haleakalae, H. miyoshiana, H. occidentalis, H. porophila, H. selago
Synonyms Lycopodium lucidulum, Urostachys lucidulus
Name authority (Michaux) Trevisan: Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. 17: 248. (1875)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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