50 



The Marsh Club-moss appears to occur, although not abundantly, 

 on most of the heaths and commons in the south of England, parti- 

 cularly where turf has been pared from the surface. In the immedi- 

 ate neighbourhood of London many habitats have been recorded ; 

 those given above I have had opportunities of verifying. In the mid- 

 land and northern counties it is less common; in Scotland and Wales 

 it is of comparatively rare occurrence ; and in Ireland it is altogether 

 unknown. It is found on wet or turfy ground, generally preferring a 

 sandy or gravelly soil : its non-appearance in Ireland appears unac- 

 countable. 



Our early botanists were not generally acquainted with this species. 

 It is described and figured by Vaillant and Dillenius, but the latter 

 author has given it a branched and luxuriant appearance which I have 

 never seen it assume. Tragus and Gerarde do not mention the plant, 

 and although Plukenet and Morison have been quoted as authorities, 

 I much doubt the correctness of the references. Its medical virtues 

 have not been recorded. 



The marsh club-moss is an insignificant and by no means striking 



plant. In its foliage and solitary spike it more nearly resembles Ly- 



• copodium clavatum than any other British species ; but the nearly 



circular capsule and other distinguishing characters separate it widely 



from that, and indeed from all the other indigenous Lycopodia. 



The roots are stout ; they do not penetrate the earth so deeply as 

 those of either of the species previously described : the prostrate stem 

 creeps close to the soil, and is occasionally, but rarely, branched, the 

 branches still remaining prostrate; the stem appears to be of slow 

 growth, and never increases in size in the same way as that of the 

 species before described ; between the points where it is attached by 

 the roots, the stem sometimes assumes an arched appearance. 



The growth of each year, with the exception of its extreme point 

 (which remains firmly rooted to the ground), dies during the succeed- 

 ing winter; the dead portion for some months adhering to the soil, 

 and even after decay leaving a conspicuous black line on the surface. 

 In the autumn each plant throws out an erect solitary spike, situated 

 on a foot-stalk which usually rather exceeds the spike itself in length. 



Every part of the plant is densely clothed with linear acute leaves ; 

 those on the prostrate stem are invariably curved upwards ; on the 

 footstalk they are rather more scattered, erect and without curvature. 

 The leaves or bracts on the spike differ from the others in being broad- 

 er at the base, and are not unfrequently furnished with a single tooth 



