124 WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND FERNS. 



It is a very plentiful species on the Welsh mountains between 

 looo and 3000 feet, and its distribution continues north to 

 Shetland. In the Highlands it is found up to 4000 feet. It 

 has also been found as far south as the hills of Somerset and 

 Hampshire. 



Alpine Club-moss is a mere book translation of its Latin 

 name, suggested by its habitat. Another book-name is Savin- 

 leaved Club-moss. Doubtful folk-names are Cypress Moss and 

 Heath Cypress. The probability is that as with others of the 

 family the folk never took account of it as a species, but 

 regarded it as a small Heath or Heather. 



Marsh Club-moss (Lycopodium inundatwn). 



The Marsh Club-moss does not attract attention like most 

 of its congeners, and it must be looked for closely on swampy 

 heaths and the margins of bogs. The creeping stem keeps close 

 to the soil, and is always short, because the greater portion 

 of it dies away every winter. It is covered with long untoothed 

 slender leaves which taper gradually to a fine point, but have 

 no hair-like extension ; and are all turned to the upper side of 

 the stem and barren branches. The fertile branches are erect, 

 and on these the dark-green leaves grow regularly upwards on 

 all sides. The spindle-shaped cones are without stalks, and 

 their scales have broad rounded bases with a pair of long spiny 

 teeth in front, between which the scale is continued into a long 

 awl-shaped point. The cones may be found with ripe spores 

 from June to August. (Plates 135, 137.) 



This species, though extending as far north as Ross-shire, is 

 a more distinctly southern plant, but even so it is quite local in 

 its occurrence ; whilst in Ireland it is very rare. Its distribution 

 includes Europe, and the Temperate and Tropical Regions of 

 both hemispheres. 



