Huperzia carinata

Species details

Kingdom : Plantae (plants)

Class : Equisetopsida (land plants)

Family : Lycopodiaceae

Scientific name : Huperzia carinata (Desv. ex Poir.) Trevis.

Common name : keeled tassel fern

 

DescriptionHuperzia carinata is an epiphytic tassel fern; it grows on another plant but does not derive nourishment from it. This fern normally grows to about 35cm in length, but it can reach 80cm. The stems are erect at first, becoming pendulous and usually branching into several 2-branched arms. The upper part of the stems is usually sterile, the lower part fertile.
The upper sterile portion is about 8-10cm in diameter, including the leaves. The leaves of the sterile portion are thick, leathery, stiff, closely overlapping, strongly keeled and folded along the midrib, narrowly egg-shaped in outline and measure about 10-13mm long by 2mm wide. The leaves make an angle of about 30 degrees with the stalk and are fused along the stem by the broad end of the leaf. The leaf margins are entire and the leaf tips are sharp.
The lower fertile portion of the stem is about 3mm in diameter. The fertile leaves flat lying, strongly keeled and folded along the midrib. They are egg-shaped in outline, measure 4mm long by 2.5mm wide and are fused along the stem by the broad end of the leaf. (Wang 1996; Chinnock 1998)

Species profile | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government (des.qld.gov.au)