Huperzia
| Firmosses | ||||||||||||
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| Huperzia lucidula in Ohio | ||||||||||||
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H. acerosa |
The Firmosses are plants of the Lycophyte genus Huperzia. This genus was long lumped in with Lycopodium, but it is now recognized that it is a clearly distinct genus, not closely related to Lycopodium. The name "Firmoss" was coined to apply to this genus instead of "clubmoss" because of the recognition of the distinctness of this group. "Firmoss" is quite descriptive, since many of the species do resemble fir branches. They are still sometimes known as "Fir-clubmosses".
The plants of this genus generally have radial ranks of entire, linear to lanceolate evergreen leaves and dichotomously-branched (forking) vegetative stems. The spores are borne in kidney-shaped sporangia borne individually on the stem at the bases of unmodified or reduced leaves.
Unlike clubmosses, firmosses grow in clusters rather than running. The roots are produced in the tips of the shoots, growing downward in cortex to emerge at soil level. Horizontal stems are absent.
See also
Categories: Lycopodiophyta