genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
lycophyte
The lycophytes, when broadly circumscribed, are a group of vascular plants that include the clubmosses. They are sometimes placed in a division Lycopodiophyta or Lycophyta or in a subdivision Lycopodiophytina. They are one of the oldest lineag ...
plants in the family
Lycopodiaceae
The Lycopodiaceae (class Lycopodiopsida, order Lycopodiales) are an old family of vascular plants, including all of the core clubmosses and firmosses, comprising 17 accepted genera and about 500 known species. This family originated about 380 mi ...
. The genus is recognized in the
Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group
The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG) is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish on the classification of pteridophytes ( lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relationships discove ...
classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''
Huperzia
''Huperzia'' is a genus of lycophyte plants, sometimes known as the firmosses or fir clubmosses; the ''Flora of North America'' calls them gemma fir-mosses. This genus was originally included in the related genus ''Lycopodium'', from which it dif ...
''.
Taxonomy
The genus was first described in 1909 by Wilhelm Herter as the section ''Phlegmariurus'' of the genus ''
Lycopodium
''Lycopodium'' (from Ancient Greek ''lykos'', wolf and ''podion'', diminutive of ''pous'', foot) is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines or creeping cedars, in the family Lycopodiaceae. Two very different circumscriptions of the gen ...
''. The section was elevated to a genus by
Josef Ludwig Holub
Josef Ludwig Holub (5 February 1930 – 23 July 1999) was a Czech botanist. He described a number of new species, worked on systematic reorganization of botanical groups, and contributed greatly to the study of European flora.
Biography
Josef ...
in 1964.
Within the family
Lycopodiaceae
The Lycopodiaceae (class Lycopodiopsida, order Lycopodiales) are an old family of vascular plants, including all of the core clubmosses and firmosses, comprising 17 accepted genera and about 500 known species. This family originated about 380 mi ...
, ''Phlegmariurus'' is placed in the subfamily
Huperzioideae
Huperzioideae is a subfamily of lycopsids in the family Lycopodiaceae. It has sometimes been recognized as a separate family, Huperziaceae. The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I) recognizes three extant genera:
* ''Huper ...
. A
phylogenetic
In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...
study in 2016, employing both molecular and morphological data, concluded that either a one-genus or a three-genus division of the subfamily produced
monophyletic
In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria:
# the grouping contains its own most recent co ...
taxa. The authors preferred the three-genus division, recognizing ''
Huperzia
''Huperzia'' is a genus of lycophyte plants, sometimes known as the firmosses or fir clubmosses; the ''Flora of North America'' calls them gemma fir-mosses. This genus was originally included in the related genus ''Lycopodium'', from which it dif ...
'', ''Phlegmariurus'' and ''
Phylloglossum
''Phylloglossum'', a genus in the clubmoss Family (biology), family Lycopodiaceae, is a small plant superficially resembling a tiny Poaceae, grass plant, growing with a rosette of slender leaf, leaves 2–5 cm long from an underground bulb-l ...
''. Their preferred hypothesis for the relationships of the three genera was:
The majority of the species formerly placed in a broadly defined ''Huperzia'' belong in ''Phlegmariurus''. However, the genera are difficult to separate morphologically, and others have preferred the one-genus division of the subfamily.
Species
, the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' accepted over 300 species:
*'' Phlegmariurus acerosus'' (Sw.) B.Øllg.
*''
Phlegmariurus acifolius
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
Phlegmariurus afromontanus
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
'' Pic. Serm.
*''
Phlegmariurus ambrensis
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
'' (Rakotondr.) A.R.Field & Bauret
*''
Phlegmariurus amentaceus
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
'' (B.Øllg.) B.Øllg.
*''
Phlegmariurus andinus
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
'' (Rosenst.) B.Øllg.
*''
Phlegmariurus aqualupianus
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
'' (Spring) B.Øllg.
*''
Phlegmariurus arcuatus
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
'' (B.Øllg.) B.Øllg.
*''
Phlegmariurus aristei
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
'' (Nessel) B.Øllg.
*''
Phlegmariurus ascendens
''Phlegmariurus ascendens'' is a species of plant in the family Lycopodiaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also ter ...
'' (Nessel) B.Øllg.
*''
Phlegmariurus attenuatus
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
'' (Spring) B.Øllg.
*''
Phlegmariurus australis
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
'' (Willd.) A.R.Field
*''
Phlegmariurus austroecuadoricus
''Phlegmariurus austroecuadoricus'' is a species of plant in the family Lycopodiaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. It is thr ...
'' (B.Øllg.) B.Øllg.
*''
Phlegmariurus austrosinicus
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of Lycopodiopsida, lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly de ...
Phlegmariurus hamiltonii
''Phlegmariurus'' is a genus of lycophyte plants in the family Lycopodiaceae. The genus is recognized in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not by some other sources, which keep it in a broadly defined ''Huperzia ...
Phlegmariurus phlegmaria
''Phlegmariurus phlegmaria'', synonym ''Huperzia phlegmaria'', commonly known as either coarse tassel fern or common tassel fern, is an epiphytic species native to rainforests in Madagascar, some islands in the Indian Ocean, Asia, Australasia and ...