THE BRITISH CLUB-MOSSES. 97 



have their margins minutely serrulate, or finely saw-toothed, 

 and their apex drawn out and terminating in a rigid point ; 

 they are attached directly to the stems without stalks, and are 

 arranged in an indistinctly spiral or somewhat five-ranked 

 order. The lower leaves, that is to say, those remaining on 

 the older portions of the stem, are more spreading than those 

 on the younger growth, and indeed on the oldest portions 

 often become somewhat bent back. 



The spike of fructification is in this species perfectly stalk- 

 less, being seated directly; on the termination of the leafy 

 branch. It is about an inch long, oblong, consisting of 

 closely overlapping bracts, of a roundish-ovate form, having 

 a long narrow point and jagged membranous margins. In 

 the axil of these bracts is produced a large reniform capsule, 

 containing numerous minute pale yellowish spores. The 

 bracts become reflexed when these spores have escaped from 

 the burst capsule. 



This is a rare species, confined to wild Fia - 27> 



mountainous localities, occurring in the 

 Scottish Highlands and the Northern Isles, 

 and in Carnarvonshire and the Lake dis- 

 trict. It is plentiful in the pine-forests 

 of the north of Europe, and in some parts 

 of North America. 



THE COMMON CLUB-MOSS. 



This is the Lycopodium clavatum of 

 botanists. It is of procumbent habit, 

 having vigorous creeping stems often 

 many feet in length, much branched, and 

 attached to the soil here and there by 

 means of tough pale-coloured wiry-look- 

 ing roots. The young branches, which 

 are very thickly clothed with leaves, 

 grow rather upwards at first, but soon all 

 become prostrate, and cross and interlace, 

 forming a close matted tuft, whence comes, 

 in fact, the name it bears in Sweden 

 Matte-grass, or mat-grass. The stems arc 

 densely clothed with small, narrow lance- 

 olate, flattish leaves, which remain fresh 

 through the winter ; they are smooth on 

 the margin, and terminate in a long white 

 point. The upright stalks supporting the Lycopodi 

 spikes are bare of leaves, but have at 



