Clubmosses (Lycopodiaceae, Lycopodiales) in the Herbarium Collection of the Croatian Natural History Museum (CNHM): implications for nature conservation

During the curation of the Herbarium Collection of the Croatian Natural History Museum – CNHM, special attention was given to clubmosses (Lycopodiaceae), which are of conservation concern – they are all listed in Annex V of the EU Habitats Directive and in Croatia their commercial collection is regulated, except for two species that are strictly protected. Results show that the collection contains 115 herbarium sheets of clubmosses with 221 herbarium specimens, which include 99 inventory numbers. Lycopodium clavatum is the most numerous in terms of inventory numbers and herbarium sheets and Huperzia selago in terms of herbarium specimens. Clubmosses were collected over a period of 127 years, with the greatest intensity of their collection in the first decades of the 20 th century and in the period of the 1960s and 1970s. The largest number of clubmosses was, expectedly, collected in Croatia. Clubmosses were collected by 16 collectors and identified by nine identifiers. Material of clubmosses stored in the CNHM Herbarium Collection is predominantly old and does not cover their entire known distribution area in Croatia. However, the curated data can be used for preparing the report on the conservation status of species according to the Habitats Directive, as well as for extinction risk assessment. They are an important source of evidence for the presence of plant species in a given area at a specific point in time.