Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Lycophytina
Infraphylum: Lycophytae
Class: Lycopsida
Order: Lycopodiopsida
Family: Lycopodiaceae
Genus: Huperzia
Species: H. varia
Scientific Name: Huperzia varia
Synonyms: Lycopodium billardieri, Lycopodium varium, Urostachys varius, Lycopodium varium var. umbrosum, Lycopodium varium var. alpinum, Lycopodium pachystachyum, Lycopodium selago var. flagellaria, Lycopodium flagellaria, Lycopodium billardieri, Lycopodium varium var. billardieri, Urostachys billardieri, Huperzia billardieri, Lycopodium varium var. gracile, Lycopodium billardieri var. gracile, Lycopodium varium var. polaris, Lycopodium novozealandicum, Huperzia novozealandica, Urostachys helmii, Huperzia helmii, Urostachys varius var. polaris, Urostachys polaris, Huperzia polaris.
Huperzia varia is a lycopod (Club moss) with long drooping dark-green shoots.
It can have one or many branches that are spirally arranged with slender leaves that narrow to a point.
The plant varies from green to green-yellow and is sometimes orange in appearance.
It is indigenous. Kermadec (Raoul Island only), Three Kings, North, South, Stewart, Chatham, Antipodes, Campbell, Auckland Islands and also Australia. It can be found in coastal to subline forests on trees as an epiphyte were it is often associated with Astelia and Collospermum clumps on tree branches. It also grows on the ground among rocks and peat bogs.
For more details visit: http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=2156
Terminal cones (strobilus) in pendulous clusters.
