The Hunt for Long Clubmoss

The Threatened Species Group excursion organised by Sylvia was to Mt Thackeray to search for Huperzia varia (Long Clubmoss). The search team was composed of Sylvia and myself; Proo and Will Pyke; 2 of their WOOFA's from Holland, Sander and Roseanne; Heather from Hamilton; and Dean from Srathkellar.

We found this plant last year at The Fortress and the reason for looking at Mt Thackeray this year was based on a probable sighting by one of the rangers, Andrew Dennis (AD). He supplied an approximate GPS co-ordinate and a photograph of a rock wall that he said was alongside the plant.

After a rough trip along the Goat Track and the Vic Range Road we arrived at the start of the walk into Mt Thackeray. After a false start we found the correct track which takes you to the top of Mt Thackeray. However, the fog was quite thick and members of our team had promised superb views from the top. It was agreed that we would give the fog time to go away and search for the Long Clubmoss down in some of the "canyons" before going to the top.

We followed our GPS toward the supplied co-ordinates by going down a canyon on the far side of Mt Thackeray. Experience from the previous search for the plant told us that it would be in a wet area and attached to a crack in the rock. Despite a number of likely sites in the canyon we couldn't see any.

When we emerged from the canyon we found the rockwall in the picture supplied by AD. And there on the opposite rockwall in a wet crack was a Long Clubmoss. Remarkably it was Roseanne (yep - the non-Australian) who spotted it. We conducted a few searches in the area but couldn't find any more.

We had lunch under the rockwall before setting off for the top of Mt Thackeray. It seemed that the higher we got the thicker the fog got! When we got to the trig point at the summit visibility was down to around 50 metres. So much for the promised view!

After spending a bit of time at the top while Roseanne tracked and photographed a Black Wallaby we found up on the summit we headed back to the cars.

Sylvia's track record for finding threatened plants is not great but this time we were successful! (Thanks Roseanne!)

Mt Thackeray