''Huperzia porophila'', the rock clubmoss or rock firmoss, grows throughout the Appalachian province of the Eastern United States and central Canada, from

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

south to Georgia and

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. It is rare east of the Appalachians, being most common in a north–south belt along the western plateau area. ''Huperzia porophila'' grows only on or over rock and requires cool, moist, shaded, acid spots. It is a beautiful sight growing over boulders and outcrops. It is often confused with the shining firmoss (''

Huperzia lucidula ''Huperzia lucidula'', the shining firmoss or shining clubmoss, is a bright evergreen, rhizomatous clubmoss of the genus ''Huperzia''. They grow in loose tufts 14–20 cm long, occasionally up to 1 m long. The leaves are 7–11 mm lo ...

'') whose range it largely shares and which also often grows on rocks. The rock firmoss leaves, 3–8 mm long, are generally not shiny like those of the shining firmoss, and the ascending 12–15 cm stems are seldom branched. Unlike ''H. lucidula'', it only grows as individual plants and not as dense colonies. One of the best sites for viewing this species is in the Hocking Hills in southeast

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

.Flora of North America, ''Huperzia porophila'' (F. E. Lloyd & L. Underwood) Holub, 1985.
/ref> This species is of hybrid origin, the parents being ''

'' and ''

Huperzia selago ''Huperzia selago'', the northern firmoss or fir clubmoss, is a vascular plant in the family Lycopodiaceae. It has a circumpolar distribution in temperate and boreal regions in both hemispheres. Distribution and habitat It is found in the north ...

''. ''H. porophila'' hybridizes with ''H. lucidula'' to produce the sterile hybrid ''H.'' × ''bartleyi''. Huperzia porophila-2a

References

External links

NRCS: United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: ''Huperzia porophila''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q11976142 porophila Firmoss, Rock Plants described in 1900 Flora of Ontario