LycoroDiuM. CLXIII. LYCOPODIACE^. 625 



high ; the fertile with 4 — 5 whorls of branches from the base of the sheaths 

 which are 2 — 3' apart, and cleft into several large, tawny red teeth or segments ; 

 the sterile taller and more slender, with more" numerous whorls of branches. 

 The branches are all subdivided and curved downwards. Spike oval-cylindric, 

 pedicellate. May. 



4. E. VARiEGATUM. Smith. (E. scorpoides. Mr.) 



Casspitose; sts. branching at base, filiform, scabrous; spike blackish; 

 sheaths 3-toothed, blackish, teeth membranaceous, whitish, deciduous at the 

 tips.— Hilly woods. Free States and Brit. Am. Stems numerous, 3—6' long, 6- 

 furrowed (5-furrowed. Beck), sheaths very short, 1—2' apart. Spikes small, 

 ovoid, terminal. jNot common. July. 



5. E. LiMosuM. (E. uliginosum. W'dld.) Pipes. 



Sis. somewhat branched, erect, striate-sulcate ; brandies from the middle 

 joints, simple, short, 5-sided, smooth; spike oblong-ovoid; sheaths appressed. — 

 Borders of ponds and swamps, trequent. Stems 2 — 3f high, slender, rarely sim- 

 ple, generally with 2 — 6 whorls of branches about the middle. Branches very 

 irregular in length and position. Sheaths 3—4" long, white at the summit, tipped 

 with as many black, subulate teeth as there are furrows (15—20). This spe- 

 cies is greedily devoured by cattle. July. 



6. E. PALU.STRE. Marsh Hmsetail. 



Sts. branched, smooth, sulcate ; branches simple, pentagonal, curved up- 

 wards; s/kai/i somewhat appressed, remote, 10-toothed at the apex; spike ohlong, 

 dark brown. — Marshes, common. Stems 1 — 2f high, deeply furrowed. Branches 

 short and like the other species produced in whorls from the bases of the sheaths, 

 at first horizontal, finally bending to an upright position. Spike an inch long! 

 May, June. 



Order CLXIII. LYCOPODIACEJi].— Club Mosses. 



Stems creeping or erect, branching, rarely simple, abounding in diicts. 

 Leaves smaW, numerous, crowded, entire, lanceolate or subulate, 1-nerved. 

 Inflortscence cLvillary, or crowded into a sort of ament or siiike. 



Thecal of two kinds in the same plant, sessile, 1, often 2-celled. [powder 



Spores few, rather large in some of the theca?, other tlieca; containing minute grains, appearing like fine 

 Like the Equisetacerp, these plants appear to have been very abundant in the first ages of the world 

 and to have attained a gigantic si/e. though at present but a few feet in length. Properties unimportant' 

 Some are emetic. The powder containecf in the thecx' is highly inflammable, and is used in the manu- 

 facture of fire-works. Genera 5, species 200. 



Genera. 



Leaves cauline, on erect or creeping stems Lycx>podium l 



Leaves or fronds radical, long, linear-subulate Isoetis. ' 8 



1. LYCOPODIUM. 



CrT. \vTroi, a wolf, ttovs, a foot ; from some fancied resemblance. 



Theca) axillary, sessile, 1-celled, some of them 2-valved, filled with 

 minute, farinaceous grainSj others 3-valved, containing several larger 

 globular spores. 



♦ Injlorescence in peduncvlate spikes. 



1. L. CLAVATUM. (L. tristachium. Nutt.) Covimon Club Moss. 



St. creeping; branches ascending; Ivs. scattered, incurved, capillaceous- 

 acuminate ; spikes in pairs, rarely in 3s, cylindrical, pedunculate ; bracts of the 

 spike ovate, acuminate, crosely denticulate. — A well known evergreen, trailing 

 upon the ground in shady pastures and woods, common. Stem and branches 

 clothed with numerous linear-lancf;olate leaves which are entire or serrulate, 

 and end in a pclhicid, curved bristle. Spikes perfectly straight, parallel, erect| 

 and upon an erect peduncle. July. 



2. L. coMPLANATUM. Gvcrund Pine. 



St. trailing; branches dichotomous ; iv.t. 4-ranked, unequal, the marginal 

 ones connate, diverging at ape.x, the superficial ones solitary, appres.sfd ; ped. 

 elongated, supporting 4 — 6, cylindric spikes. — A trailing evergreen, common in 

 woods and shady grounds. Stem round, creeping among the moss and leaves, 

 often lOf in length. Branches numerously subdivided, compressed, somewhat 

 resembling the branchiets of the cedar. Leaves minute, very acute. Julv. 



