DECUMBENT LYCOPOD1UMS. 109 



stem and stand out nearly at right angles to it, except 

 those at the tips of the stems, which are erect. The new 

 and spreading growth, springing from the midst of the 

 erect leaves, marks the stem with regular zones of 

 spreading and appressed leaves, by which the age of the 

 plant may be told. On old parts of the stem, the leaves 

 are usually reflexed. The leaves, though short, are the 

 largest borne by any North American species, and are 

 further distinguished by their very firm texture and 

 dark-green colour. 



The spores are borne in kidney-shaped sporangia, one 

 of which is found in the axil of each of the ordinary 

 spreading leaves near the tips of the stems. This in 

 appearance is a wide departure from the usual way of 

 fruiting, but when one considers that the difference is 

 simply that in fruiting the leaves are not changed in 

 shape and colour, a fundamental resem- 

 blance is easily seen. One other difference 

 ^ marks the fruiting of this species, the ends 

 of the fruiting-branches continue to grow, 



and the new leaves of one year become 

 the spore-bearing leaves of the following 

 season. Thus each stem has in time several 

 zones of sporangia. In some cases there 

 are at least six of these zones. The spor- 

 angia are bright yellow, and quite noticeable among the 

 green leaves, but the spores do not appear to be very 

 abundant. The empty spore-cases often remain upon 

 the stems for years. 



In addition to the ordinary means of reproduction by 

 spores and the less common multiplication by the 

 division of the stem, this species produces numerous 

 small bulblets that are capable of forming new plants. 



