Huperzia serrata (Thunb.) Trevis.

Toothed clubmoss (en)

Species

Pteridophytes > Lycopodiales > Lycopodiaceae > Huperzioideae > Huperzia

Characteristics

Shoots ascending to erect from a decumbent base when mature, undivided or 1–4 times divided, up to 45 cm long. Homophyllous to gradually heterophyllous with slightly reduced sporophylls. Sterile leaves isophyllous, arranged in alternating subspiral whorls of 2–5 (usually 3), appearing spiralling, spreading to deflexed, thin and lax, often irregular in size on the same branch, oblanceolate to elliptic, abruptly acute, gradually tapering to base, 8–30 mm long, 1–3.5 mm wide, pale to dark green; margins serrate at least in distal half. Sporophylls similar to leaves but may be slightly reduced, often scattered and not restricted to terminal spikes. Sporangia 0.8–1.2 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, lunate, much broader than sporophyll bases.
More
Plants terrestrial. Stem erect or ascending, 10-30 cm, 1.5-3.5 mm in diam. at middle, together with leaves 1.5-4 cm wide, 2-4 times dichotomously branched, upper portion often with bulbils. Leaves sparse, attached at right angles with stem, lustrous, narrowly elliptic, conspicuously contracted toward base, straight, 1-3 cm × 1-8 mm, thinly leathery, both surfaces glabrous, midrib conspicuously raised, base cuneate, decurrent, petiolate, margin straight and not crispate, irregularly toothed, apex acute or acuminate; teeth acute at apex, coarse or slightly small. Sporophylls homomorphic with trophophylls; sporangia visible on both sides of sporophylls, yellowish, reniform.
Life form perennial
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Mature height (meter) 0.1
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Environment

Terrestrial in mesic forest where it forms localised sparse multi-plant colonies from bulbils. Habitat in Australia not recorded, but the locality from where the collection is purported to have been made is a rocky ridge line in montane cloud forest at 1500 m alt.
Light 1-6
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 3-6
Soil acidity 3-7
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Hardiness (USDA) 6-11

Usage

Used in China as a source of an alkaloid extract, Huperzine A, which is purported to have efficacy in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease (Ma & Gang 2008 and references therein).
Uses dye medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use Wound healing (leaf)
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Cultivation

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Images

Huperzia serrata unspecified picture

Distribution

Huperzia serrata world distribution map, present in Australia, China, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Thailand, Taiwan, Province of China, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:20004840-1
WFO ID wfo-0001125374
COL ID 6MGXY
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 836411
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Lycopodium serratum Urostachys serratus Huperzia serrata Lycopodium serratum f. intermedium Huperzia serrata f. intermedia Lycopodium sargassifolium Urostachys myriophyllifolius Huperzia myriophyllifolia Huperzia selago var. serrata Lycopodium serratum var. javanicum Lycopodium serratum var. myriophyllifolium Lycopodium serratum var. thunbergii Huperzia serrata var. intermedia Huperzia serrata var. myriophyllifolia Urostachys serratus var. sachalinensis