Lycopodium

Lycopodium
Lycopodium annotinum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Lycopodiophyta
Class:	Lycopodiopsida
Order:	Lycopodiales
Family:	Lycopodiaceae
Genus:	Lycopodium
Species
see text

Lycopodium (from Greek lukos, wolf and podion, diminutive of pous, foot) is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines or creeping cedar, in the family Lycopodiaceae, a family of fern-allies (see Pteridophyta). They are flowerless, vascular, terrestrial or epiphytic plants, with widely-branched, erect, prostrate or creeping stems, with small, simple, needle-like or scale-like leaves that cover the stem and branches thickly. The leaves contain a single, unbranched vascular strand and are microphylls by definition. The kidney shaped or reniform spore-cases (sporangia) contain spores of one kind only (isosporous, homosporous) and are borne on the upper surface of the leaf blade of specialized leaves (sporophylls) arranged in a cone-like strobilus at the end of upright stems. The club-shaped appearance of these fertile stems gives the clubmosses their common name.

Lycopods reproduce sexually by spores. The plant has an underground sexual phase that produces gametes, and this alternates in the life cycle with the spore-producing plant. The prothallium developed from the spore is a subterranean mass of tissue of considerable size and bears both the male and female organs (antheridium and archegonia). However, it is more common that they are distributed vegetatively through above or below ground rhizomes.

There are approximately 950 species,^{[citation needed]} with 37 species widely distributed in temperate and tropical climates, though they are confined to mountains in the tropics.

The genera Diphasiastrum, Lycopodiella and Huperzia were once included within this genus, but are now recognized as being distinct. Some workers also segregate several more genera, including Dendrolycopodium for L. obscurum and related species, and Spinulum for L. annotinum and related species.

The spores of Lycopodium and Diphasiastrum species have been harvested and used economically as Lycopodium powder.

Species

Lycopodium dendroideum

Section Lycopodium

• Lycopodium aberdaricum (central and southern Africa)
• Lycopodium alboffii (southernmost South America and the Falkland Islands)
• Lycopodium centrochinense (east Asia (central China to India and the Philippines)
• Lycopodium clavatum (Stag's-horn Clubmoss; subcosmopolitan, see species article for details)
• Lycopodium diaphanum (Tristan da Cunha)
• Lycopodium hygrophilum (New Guinea)
• Lycopodium interjectum (southwest China (Sichuan))
• Lycopodium japonicum (eastern Asia (Japan west and south to India and Sri Lanka))
• Lycopodium lagopus (circumpolar arctic and subarctic)
• Lycopodium papuanum (New Guinea)
• Lycopodium pullei (New Guinea)
• Lycopodium simulans (southwest China (Yunnan))
• Lycopodium taliense (southwest China (Yunnan))
• Lycopodium venustulum (Hawaii, Western Samoa, Society Islands)
• Lycopodium vestitum (northwest South America (Andes))

Section Obscura (genus Dendrolycopodium)

• Lycopodium dendroideum (northern North America)
• Lycopodium hickeyi (northeastern North America)
• Lycopodium juniperoideum (northeast Asia (central Siberia southeast to Taiwan))
• Lycopodium obscurum (northeast North America, northeast Asia)

Section Annotina (genus Spinulum)

• Lycopodium alticola (southwest China)
• Lycopodium annotinum (stiff clubmoss or interrupted clubmoss; circumpolar north temperate)
• Lycopodium dubium (cold temperate and subarctic Europe and Asia; treated as a synonym of L. annotinum by some authors)
• Lycopodium subarcticum (northeast Siberia)
• Lycopodium zonatum (southeast Tibet)

Section Diphasium

• Lycopodium gayanum (south-central Chile and adjacent westernmost Argentina)
• Lycopodium jussiaei (northern South America, Caribbean)
• Lycopodium scariosum (southeastern Australia, New Zealand, Borneo (Mount Kinabalu))

Section Lycopodiastrum

• Lycopodium casuarinoides (southeast Asia (Japan to Bhutan and Borneo))

Section Magellanica (genus Austrolycopodium)

• Lycopodium assurgens (Brazil (Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina))
• Lycopodium confertum (southern South America and the Falkland Islands)
• Lycopodium fastigiatum (southeastern Australia, New Zealand)
• Lycopodium magellanicum (South and Central America (Andes), southern Atlantic Ocean and southern Indian Ocean islands)
• Lycopodium paniculatum (southern South America (Andes))

Section Pseudolycopodium

• Lycopodium deuterodensum, tree club moss (eastern Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand) — has appressed leaves; height approximately 600 mm

Section Pseudodiphasium

• Lycopodium spectabile (Java)
• Lycopodium volubile, climbing club moss (southwest Pacific Ocean islands (New Zealand north to Java), Australia (Queensland)) — found along bush margins and disturbed ground; has a creeping habit and can climb up vegetation

Uses

By florists, in bouquets.

References

• Species list (takes a broad view of the genus, including the species here separated in the genus Diphasiastrum)
• Burning Lycopodium Powder: Simulating a Grain Elevator Explosion by Kevin A. Boudreaux