LYCOPODIUM 



35 



ating the spores in alcohol a part of the alcohol is converted into an 

 aldehyde. 



Allied Plants. The spores of other species of Lycopodium are 

 sometimes collected with those of L. clavatum, as fir club moss (L. 

 Selago); stiff club moss (L. annotinum); bog club moss (L. inun- 

 datum), and the ground pine (L. complanatum) . From the latter 

 an alkaloid, lycopodine, has been isolated. A toxic alkaloid, pili- 

 ganine, has been obtained from piligan (L. Saururus), growing in 

 Brazil. L. polytrichoides, of the Hawaiian Islands; L. rubrum, of 

 Venezuela; L. cernuum, of the Tropics, and L. Selago of Europe, 

 are also employed in medicine. 



FIG. 15. Spores of various species of Lycopodium. A, B, reticulated spores 

 of Lycopodium clavatum; C, D, spores of L. phyllanthum marked by 

 pores; E, F, spinous spores of L. densum; G, H, J, spores of L. inundatum 

 with wavy reticulations. After Pritzel. 



Adulterants. Lycopodium is sometimes admixed with pine pollen, 

 starchy materials, and various inorganic substances, as sulphur, talc 

 and gypsum. A recent adulterant of Lycopodium has been found to 

 consist of corn starch which had been treated in a special manner 

 and then colored with methyl orange. An artificial lycopodium is 

 prepared by treating Bordeaux turpentine (galipot resin) at near the 

 melting point with dry ammonia, the resulting product being then 

 dried and powdered. The fragments are irregular, transparent 

 and are detected by means of the microscope, 



