96 THE TRAILING LYCOPODIUMS. 



ago that the tendency to call Lycopodinm complanatum 

 cham&cyparissus a distinct species began, and a still 

 shorter interval has elapsed since Mr. Fernald pointed 

 out the differences between the real Lycopodium com- 

 planatum and our common form. Lycopodium alpinum ^ 

 while much like these in general appearance, has always 

 had some standing in botanical circles as a distinct 

 species, though even in several editions of " Our Native 

 Ferns " Professor Underwood has suggested the possi- 

 bility of its being another form of Lycopodium com- 

 planatum. In the same way the savin-leaved club-moss 

 {Lycopodium sabin&folium) has often been thought to be a 

 form of Lycopodium alpinum. All these, however, are 

 now believed by many to be separate species. There is 

 no doubt that they are all closely allied to Lycopodium 

 complanatum, they might properly be called the 

 Lycopodium complanatum group ; but with a series of 

 each before him even the novice would have no trouble 

 in distinguishing between them. Whether the differ- 

 ences they present are of specific value depends upon 

 the view-point of the student. The forms were all 

 named long ago, and are not therefore new segregates, 

 but the tendency in the past has been to ignore them as 

 species. 



The savin-leaved club-moss may be distinguished from 

 its nearest of kin, Lycopodium alpinum, by the fact that, 

 while the leaves are in four rows as in that species, the 

 branchlets do not usually appear to be so much flat- 

 tened. This is probably due to the fact that the leaves 

 of Lycopodium sabincefolium are slightly longer and 

 slenderer, and not so closely appressed to the stem. 

 The whole plant is slenderer than Lycopodium alpinum, 

 but it has the same trailing habit and manner of growth. 



