Page authors: Ben Legler, David Giblin
Huperzia occidentalis
western clubmoss
Note the widely spreading, broad leaves, and the tan sproangia in the leaf axils.
Leaves are clearly broadest above the middle.
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; coastal ranges from southeastern Alaska and southwestern Yukon to northern Oregon; also in southeastern British Columbia, northern Idaho, and northwest Montana. Not found outside North America.

Habitat: In shaded conifer forest, usually where moist such as along streams and in depressions; rooted on decaying logs, duff, or soil. Low to mid elevations.

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Description:
General:

Large moss-like plants; stems erect from short-creeping bases, sparsely branched, 4-20 cm tall, leafy throughout; dark green.

Leaves:

Dark green, 6-10 mm long, mostly oblanceolate (widest above middle), minutely few-toothed, arranged in tight spirals around stem, widely spreading, giving the stem a prickly look.

Spores:

Spores contained in sporangia, which resemble small tan kidney-shaped pouches distributed along much of stem, one sporangium per leaf axil. Also with gemmae (small flattened vegetative propagules) in 1 pseudowhorl near tip of stem.

Identification Notes:

The oblanceolate leaves that are clearly widest above the middle distinguish H. occidentalis from our other 2 Huperzia species, both of which have lanceolate leaves that are widest at the base. Also note the habitat in humid shaded conifer forest.

Accepted Name:
Huperzia occidentalis (Clute) Kartesz & Gandhi
Publication: Phytologia. 70: 201. 1991.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Huperzia porophila (F.E. Lloyd & Underw.) Holub, misapplied [FNA2]
Lycopodium selago L., misapplied [HC]
Lycopodium selago L. var. patens (P. Beauv.) Desv., misapplied
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Huperzia occidentalis in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Huperzia occidentalis checklist entry

OregonFlora: Huperzia occidentalis information

E-Flora BC: Huperzia occidentalis atlas page

CalPhotos: Huperzia occidentalis photos

26 photographs:
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