Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes - Online edition

Lateristachys lateralis

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Family

Lycopodiaceae

Botanical name

Lateristachys lateralis (R.Br.) Holub

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/206036

Common name

Slender clubmoss

Description

Main stems to 20 cm or more long, rooting at intervals. Branchlet systems scattered or grouped, erect or sometimes lax, 8–50 cm long, unbranched or branched once or twice. Leaves densely spirally arranged, imbricate, spreading or recurved towards tips, linear-subulate to linear-lanceolate, 4–8 mm long, 0.5–0.7 mm wide, pale green to yellowish-green; bases decurrent. Strobili solitary, to 20 mm long. Sporophylls imbricate, ovate, acuminate, spreading at maturity, brown; margins lacerate to irregularly serrate.

Distribution

E Australia from Thornton Peak NE QLD to Vic. Also New Zealand and Pacific Islands.

Habit and habitat

Terrestrial in oligotrophic peaty wetlands. In NE QLD it occurs at high altitude.

Natural history

Rare in NE QLD and known from a few mountain peaks.

Citation of Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes

Field AR, Quinn CJ, Zich FA (2022) Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes. apps.lucidcentral.org/fern/text/intro/index.htm (accessed online INSERT DATE).

Field AR, Quinn CJ, Zich FA (2022) ‘Platycerium superbum’, in Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes. apps.lucidcentral.org/fern/text/entities/platycerium_superbum.htm (accessed online INSERT DATE).

Web edition hosted at https://apps.lucidcentral.org/ferns