Phlegmariurus harmsii

Lycopodiaceae

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/51347405

Queensland Coarse Tassel Fern. MooiMooi (Yirrganydji name).

Habit epiphytic or lithophytic with erect, arching to pendulous, abruptly heterophyllous shoots. Sterile sections leafy; 15–45 mm in diameter, 20–180 cm long, forking 1–6 times, evenly ramified. Stems fleshy; 4–15 mm in diameter in basal module; pale yellowish to reddish-brown basally, pale green distally; bearing distinct longitudinal grooves between pronounced domed ridges bearing the leaves. Leaves soft to firm, minutely petiolate, obliquely twisted facing an upper plane, obtusely spreading; arranged in alternating sub-spirals of 4–6 basally and alternating sub-spirals whorls of 2–4 distally; lanceolate, 10–25 mm long x 4–8 mm wide, with an obtuse to truncate base and acute to acuminate apex, flat in cross section with, entire margins, glossy yellow-green to mid-green (drying a pale stramineous brown). Basal leaves mostly similar to mid and distal leaves. Fertile sections filiform to moniliform, terete; 1–2.5 mm in diameter and up to 30 mm long, forking 1–6 times, basally much-ramified. Sporophylls scale like, adpressed; arranged in alternating sub-spirals / sub-whorls of 2–3; ovate-deltoid, with a rounded base and rounded to acute apex; 1–2 mm long x 1–1.5 mm wide.

In Australia, this species occurs in coastal lowland to mid montane rainforest from Captain Billy Landing on Cape York to Eungella, QLD. Widespread in Asia and Oceania.

Epiphytic in the canopy and subcanopy or lithophytic in low to mid altitude rainforest and dry vine forest. It often occurs in estuarine mangrove rainforest and in Australia it extends into semi-deciduous dry vine forest on boulderfields. It is the most common species found in Australia.