''Austrolycopodium fastigiatum'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

''Lycopodium fastigiatum'', commonly known as alpine club moss or mountain club moss, is a species of club moss native to New Zealand and Australia.New Zealand Plant Conservation Network: ''Lycopodium fastigiatum''
/ref>Atlas of Living Australia
/ref> The genus ''

Austrolycopodium ''Austrolycopodium'' is a genus of lycophytes in the family Lycopodiaceae. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is placed in the subfamily Lycopodioideae. Some sources do not recognize the genus, sinking it into ...

'' is accepted in the

Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish a consensus on the classification of pteridophytes (lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relation ...

classification of 2016 (PPG I), but not in other classifications which submerge the genus in '' Lycopodium''. ''Austrolycopodium fastigiatum'' has an upright, much branched and

conifer Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...

-like appearance, and can grow up to high. It is widespread across New Zealand including Stewart,

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

, Adams, Auckland, and Campbell Islands. It has also been found in the Australian States of Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales. It grows in mountainous, alpine areas to scrubland. In cold conditions it can have a bright orange appearance.

References

Lycopodiaceae Flora of New Zealand Flora of Australia Plants described in 1810 {{lycophyte-stub