CHAPTER XXVIII. 



CLUB MOSSES. 



386. What are called the "club mosses" make up another 

 group of interesting plants which rank as allies of the ferns. 

 They are not of course true mosses, but the general habit of 

 some of the smaller species, and especially the 



form and size of the leaves, suggest a resem- 

 blance to the larger of the moss plants. 



387. The clavate lycopodium. Here is one 

 of the club mosses (fig. 238) which has a wide 

 distribution and which is well entitled to hold 

 the name of club because of the form of the up- 

 right club-shaped branches. As will be seen 

 from the illustration, it has a prostrate stem. 

 This stem runs for considerable distances on 

 the surface of the ground, often partly buried in 

 the leaves, and sometimes even buried beneath 

 the soil. The leaves are quite small, are flat- 

 tened-awl-shaped, and stand thickly over the 

 stem, arranged in a spiral manner, which is the 

 usual arrangement of the leaves of the club 

 mosses. Here and there are upright branches 

 which are forked several times. The end of 

 one or more of these branches becomes pro- 

 duced into a slender upright stem which is 

 nearly leafless, the leaves being reduced to 

 mere scales. The end of this leafless branch 

 then terminates in one or several cylindrical 

 heads which form the club. 



191 



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