Back to homepage
Questions? AskAuckland
  

Please select root levels for the menu

NZ Plants

Phlegmariurus varius - iwituna

Clubmoss family: Lycopodiaceae

Phlegmariurus varius is a terrestrial or epiphytic clubmoss with stems forking many times. Terrestrial plants are erect with branch tips curled downwards. Epiphytic plants are pendulous. Transition from the spreading sterile to appressed fertile leaves is gradual to abrupt. Fertile leaves (sporophylls) are restricted to terminal branches, forming indistinct, usually 4-angled cones. Formerly known as Huperzia varia and Lycopodium varium.
Found throughout New Zealand in coastal to subalpine locations.
 

Vegetative characteristics

Fertile stem and sporangia

Plant form: terrestrial plants up to 50 cm; pendulous plants up to 200 cm

Stem appearance: weakly differentiated into pendulous cones up to 15 cm long

Leaf arrangement: singly in a spiral along the stem; spreading to appressed

Sporangium location: on upper surface of  sporophyll

Leaf shape: linear, pointed at tip

Sporangium position: at base of sporophyll

Leaf size: up to 2 cm

Sporangia distribution: one per sporophyll

 

Sporangium covering: 0

Share Print Email