THE TRAILING LYCOPODIUMS. 



89 



inches long and consisting of a short main branch termi- 

 nating in a bud-like point with a pdir of opposite fan-like 

 lateral branches just below it. These lateral branches 

 fork four or five times near the base, or, occasionally, 

 nearer the tips, the terminal branchlets being from half 

 an inch to two inches long and spreading out horizon- 

 tally in flat semi-circles. Occasionally there is a single 

 lateral branch near the base of the main stem. The 

 following year the bud-like point carries the main branch 

 upward a few inches more, and there produces another 

 pair of similar forking lateral branches. This process 

 may be repeated for several years in succession, resulting 

 in main stems a foot in height. The lower lateral 

 branchlets also lengthen more or less in subsequent sea- 

 sons by additions to the tips, the new growth being very 

 noticeable at midsummer by reason of its lighter colour. 

 These lateral branches may also send up short branches 

 like the main one the second season, such branches aris- 

 ing from the point where the branchlets are given off. 

 The branchlets of our common plant are 

 flattened in a plane parallel to the earth, 

 and have a very distinct upper and lower 

 side, or, in other words, they are dorsi- 

 ventral. The upper surface is also darker 

 green. 



In the matter of leaves this species 

 differs greatly from most of our native 

 club-mosses. First of all, owing to the 

 dorsi-ventral branchlets, there arc two 

 kinds of leaves arranged in four rows. 

 Extending lengthwise of the branchlets 

 on the under side is a row of very short pointed leaves ; 

 in a similar row on the upper or dorsal side is a series of 



Upper and under 

 surface of Branchlet. 



