CHAPTER XIV 



LYCOPODINE^ 



The Lycopodineae, though far exceeding in number the species 

 of Equiseiuin, are inferior in number to the Ferns. Baker ^ 

 enumerates 432 species, of which 334 belong to one genus, 

 Selaginella, while another, Lycopodium, has 94. Like the 

 Equisetineae they are abundant in a fossil condition, and it is 

 very evident that these ancient forms were, many of them, 

 enormously larger than their living representatives, and more 

 complicated in structure. The living species are mainly tropical 

 in their range, but Lycopodiiun has a number of species common 

 in northern countries, and a few species of Selaginella, e.g. S. 

 rupestris, have a wider range ; but the great majority of the 

 species are found only in the moist forests of the tropics. The 

 gametophyte of the homosporous forms is known only in Ly co- 

 podium, and this only within a comparatively short time. Our 

 knowledge of it is based mainly upon the important researches 

 of Treub,' but these have been added to by Goebel ^ in the case 

 of L. inundatmn. The gametophyte in its earliest condition, so 

 far as is certainly known, develops chlorophyll, and this con- 

 dition may be permanent, e.g. L. cernuuin, but other forms have 

 a chlorophylless prothallium, and are saprophytic in habit, like 

 Ophioglossum. The germination of these forms is at present 

 unknown. 



The sporophyte has the axis strongly developed, and the 

 leaves, though usually numerous, are simple in structure and 

 generally small. The genera are all homosporous except 

 Selaginella, which is very markedly heterosporous, and has the 



1 Baker (2). " Treub (2). 3 Goebel (18). 



