Huperzia

The firmosses are plants of the Lycophyte genus Huperzia. This genus was long lumped in with Lycopodium[?], but it is now recognized that it is a clearly distinct genus, not closely related to Lycopodium. The plants of this genus generally have radial ranks of entire, linear to lanceolate leaves and dichotomously-branched (forking) vegetative stems, with the spore borne in sporangia on the stem itself. The name "firmoss" was coined to apply to this genus instead of "clubmoss" because of the recognition of the distinctness of this group. "Firmoss" is quite descriptive, since many of the species do resemble fir branches.