Pseudodiphasium volubile
Common names
climbing clubmoss, waewaekoukou
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Lycophytes (clubmosses, selaginella, quillworts)
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Main stems scrambling or climbing (scandent) up to 8 m long, wiry, much-branched, terete, with scattered appressed subpeltate attenuated scale leaves, 3.5–5.0 mm long. Branchlets scattered, spreading, flattened into 1 plane. Leaves trimorphic, yellow-green (very rarely orange); lateral leaves in 2 alternate to opposite rows, tending to curl downwards, 3–5 mm long, up to 1 mm wide, ovate-lanceolate, falcate, attenuate, adnate; upper leaves in 2 alternate to opposite rows, appressed, 1–2 mm long, c. 0.2 mm wide, scale-like; lower leaves in 1 row, very scattered, appressed, up to 1 mm long, scale-like, obscure. Strobili up to 80 mm long, yellow-brown, straight or sometimes forked, borne in large pendulous clusters on sparsely-leaved much-branched stalks. (Description adapted from Chinnock (1998) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000)).
Similar taxa
Easily distinguished from all other New Zealand representatives of the family by the scrambling, climbing growth habit, flattened leaves, and by the numerous, clustered, pendulous strobili. For distinctions from Diphasium scariosum see under that species.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: Kermadec (Raoul Island), Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands. Also south-east Asia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and Australia (one record Queensland—Chinnock 1998).
Habitat
Coastal to montane. In gumland scrub, shrublands, forest margins (and along open ridgelines in dense forest), and on roadside banks and cuttings.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO?
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Lycopodiaceae
Synonyms
Lycopodium volubile G.Forst.; Lycopodium volubile var. durvillaei (A.Rich.) Nessel; Lepidotis volubilis (G.Forst.) Rothm.; Lycopodium durvillaei A.Rich.;
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
N.A.
Fruiting
N.A.
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
volubile: Twining; from the Latin volvere; a twining growth habit
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
LYCVOL
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO?
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Brownsey PJ, Smith-Dodsworth JC. 2000. New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. David Bateman, Auckland, NZ. 168 p.
Chinnock RJ. 1998. Lycopodiaceae. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 66–85. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 20 March 2011. Description adapted from Chinnock (1998) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pseudodiphasium volubile Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pseudodiphasium-volubile/ (Date website was queried)