RELATIVES OF THE FERNS 47 



parts of moors, particularly when the country 

 is rather elevated. The chief characteristic 

 of the species is its creeping stem, which may 

 be traced for a distance of two or three feet. 

 This stem is frequently branched, and now and 

 again the divisions rise upwards in a singularly 

 erect fashion. This habit of growth is a very 

 distinctive feature which will not be readily 

 forgotten. The whole of the stems are very 

 thickly covered with narrow leaves, which are so 

 stiff as to be almost bristle-like. Here and there 

 it will be noticed that certain upright branches 

 are bearing cone-like processes of which a more 

 particular description will be given in a succeed- 

 ing paragraph. If the recumbent stem of the 

 club moss is pulled up, it will be found that 

 at intervals from the underside real roots are 

 sent down into the soil. These organs are quite 

 absent in the mosses, the only underground 

 processes being certain fibres which play a 

 mechanical part in attaching the plants to the 

 ground. 



The study of the club mosses is simplified 

 by reason of the fact that there are com- 

 paratively few representatives of this group on 

 the earth at the present time. As we have 



