Lycopodium clavatum : Common Club-moss

Taxonomy

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

Class: Lycopodiopsida (club-moss class)

Family: Lycopodiaceae (Club-moss Family)

Genera: Lycopodium (Club-moss) (Gk.Lyco=wolf+podos=foot in reference to either the branch shoot tips or the roots to a wolfs paw.)

Species: clavatum (Lat. clava = club, referring to the shape of the strobili)

English Name(s):

Common Club-moss, Running Club-moss

First Nation Names:


Description

Structure:

  • Erect stems at first simple, becoming dichotomous (branching in twos).
  • Horizontal stems leafy, rooting, running long distances.

Leaves:

  • Leaves tipped with a soft white hair-like bristle.
  • Many, uniform, needle-like, usually spreading, in 8-vertical rows, appearing whorled.

Reproductive Parts:

Seed:

  • Spores are rich in oil repel water strongly and are highly flammable.

Not to Be Confused With:

  • L. annotinum (Bristly club-moss). L. clavatum is distinguished by peduncled strobili and hairs at tips of leaves.

Biology

Physiology:

    Life Cycle:

    Seasonal Cycle:

    • Evergreen

    Ecology

    Animal Uses:

      Habitat:

      • Dry woods and clearings.

      Uses

      Modern:

      Industrial:

      • Spores are very rich in oil and are highly flammable.
      • Spores repel water so strongly that a hand dusted with them can be dipped in water without becoming wet.

      Medicinal:

      • Known to contain nicotine.
      • Spores have been used as a dusting powder in surgery, baby powder, and various skin problems, including eczema and chaffed skin.
      • The spores' use as an anti-absorbent is limited, as they are known to irritate mucous membranes.

      Food:

        Traditional Gwich'in:

        Folklore:

          Industrial:

            Medicinal:

              Food:

                Traditional Other:

                Folklore:

                • Cree used the spores to divine the future of sick people. The spores were dropped in a container of water, and if they moved toward the sun, the patient would survive.

                Industrial:

                • At one time, spores were used by photographers and theater performers as flash powder.

                Medicinal:

                • The Carrier used to put the spores in the nose to cause bleeding and cure headaches.

                Food:

                  Images

                  Plant runner - top view


                  Peduncled mature strobili


                  Plant runner


                  Illustration from: Illustrated Flora of BC


                  Range Maps

                  World Range: Boreal, Circumpolar

                  Prov/State Abrev. List


                  In Yukon: Rare north of 65.

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