1932 



LYCOPERSICUM 



LYCOPODIUM 



2234. The currant tomato, Lycopersicum 

 pimpinellifolium. 



Var. grandifolium, Bailey. LARGE- 

 LEAF TOMATO. Fig. 2232. Lvs. very large, 

 plane, the Ifts. few (about 2 pairs) and large, 

 with margins entire or very nearly so, and 

 secondary Ifts. usually none. Of seedling 

 origin about 45 years ago. The Mikado 

 and Potato Leaf are characteristic varieties 

 of this. In very young plants, the Ivs. 

 are usually entire. This race has produced crosses of 

 commercial value with var. vulgare. In Fig. 2232, No. 2 

 is a If. of var. vulgare, No. 1 is var. grandifolium, and 

 No. 3 is a If. of a hand-made cross between the two. 



pimpinellifolium, Dunal (L. racemigerum and L. 

 racemiforme, Lange. Soldnum racemiflorum, Vilm., not 

 Dunal). CURRANT TOMATO. Fig. 2234. Plant weaker, 

 very diffuse and twiggy, scarcely pubescent: Ivs'. with 

 small ovate nearly entire Ifts., and very small second- 

 ary Ifts. : racemes elongating, distichous, bearing 10-40 

 small currant-like red berries. S. Amer. Grown as a 

 curiosity and for ornament. The plant makes an excel- 

 lent summer cover for brush or rubbish piles. The frs. 

 are edible, but are too small for domestic use. However, 

 it has been intro. as a garden vegetable under the name 

 of German Raisin tomato. It hybridizes with L. 

 esculentum (see Fig. 2235). L_ jj. B. 



LYCOPODIUM (Greek, wolf-foot). Lycopodiacese. 

 CLUB-MOSS. GROUND-PINE. RUNNING-PINE. A group 

 of pteridophytes, with erect or trailing stems, commonly 

 used for holiday decorations. 



Leaves narrow, needle- or scale-like, arranged in 4 to 

 many ranks, and bearing spores in sporangia, located 

 either in the axils of ordinary Ivs. or in the axils of 

 modified Ivs. clustered in spikes. About 100 species 



are known. The spores of some species form the 

 officinal lycopodium powder. The plants which 

 florists grow as lycopodiums are selaginellas. Horti- 

 culturally, the species of Lycopodium are valuable 

 mainly as oddities. The hardy species are not always 

 easy to get started, and the tender species need 

 special cult, for good results. See Selaginella. 



A. Lvs. many-ranked. 

 B. Sporangia in the axils of unaltered Ivs. 



Selago, Linn. Sts. erect, 3-9 in. long, dichoto- 

 mously branched: Ivs. ascending, hollow at base, 

 glossy green, not reflexed. Northern hemisphere, 

 usually in high altitudes. 



lucidulum, Michx. (Fig. 2236), much like preced- 

 ing, but usually larger, is more common in lowlands, 

 and has Ivs. wide in the middle and erose. 



squarrSsum, Forst. Sts. pendulous, 1-2 ft. long, 2-3 

 times dichotomously branched: Ivs. firm, dark green, 

 spreading, %-%in. long: sporangia in the axils of re- 

 duced Ivs., forming a spike. E. Indies. 



BB. Sporangia aggregated in terminal spikes. 



c. Sts. pendulous: Ivs. acute. 



Phlegmaria, Linn. Sts. J^-2 ft. long, dichotomously 

 forked: Ivs. Hp-Ji in- long, ovate: spikes copious, lax, 

 3-6 in. or more long. Tropics of Old World. 



cc. Sts. erect, tree form. 



cernuum, Linn. Sts. erect, reaching 3-4 ft., copiously 

 branched: Ivs. crowded, linear: spikes sessile, }^-%in. 

 long, curved downward. Tropics of both hemispheres, 

 occasionally in our Gulf states. 



2235. Lycopersicum esculentum beneath; L. pimpinellifolium 

 at top; hybrid between. 



