70 
FERNS. 
[. Lycopodium . 
by the old botanists ; and they do indeed resemble that tribe in many of their 
external characters, having sessile, smooth, entire, or at most serrated leaves. 
Their fruit, however, is greatly different ; most species of the Lycopodiums 
bear it in terminal scaly spikes, in a few- others, among which is our Lycopodium 
selago, the fruit is not confined to the apex of the branches, but is found in the 
axils of the leaves throughout the whole plant. The root grows from every part 
of the stem which touches the ground. 
LYCOPODIUM CLAYATUM. 
COMMON CLUB-MOSS. FOX-TAIL. STAG’s-HORN. WOLf’s-CLAW. 
(Plate 6, fig. 1.) 
Cha. — Stem trailing. Leaves linear, incurved, hair-pointed. 
Theca; in naked, stalked, double spikes. Scales ovate, serrate. 
Syn. — Lycopodium clavatum of most botanists. — Muscus clavatus sen 
Lycopodium, Ger. Park., 8fc. — Lycopodium officinale, Neck. — Lepidotis 
clavata, Beauv. 
Fig. — E. B. 224.— Ger. 1562 .—Phytologist. No. l.p. 1. 
Des. — Root fibrous, scattered. Stem branched, several feet long, 
lying on the ground, bright green. Leaves crowded, linear, 
curved, with a long, diaphanous, hair-like point. Spike of fruit 
cylindrical, usually in pairs, yellow, about an inch long, supported 
upon a rigid, upright, long stem, which is void of leaves, but set at 
intervals with whorls of very fine, short setae. Scales of the spikes 
broadly ovate, pointed, and dentate or serrate. Thecae large, round, 
one to three, attached to the base of each scale, and filled with a 
very fine yellow powder. 
Vir. — For the virtues of this plant, see page 16; in addition to which it is 
said to be used to ameliorate wines, but its emetic properties render this 
doubtful. 
Sit. and Hab. — On hill-sides, particularly in the northern part of the king- 
dom, but not ascending to so lofty a situation as some other species. Hoy Hill, 
Orkney, Rev. C. Clouston. Plentiful in the Highlands, in Cumberland, and in 
North Wales, Mr. H. C. Watson. Charlewood Forest, Leicestershire, Rev. A. 
Bloxam. Todmorden, Lancashire, Mr. W. Wilson. Settle, Yorks., Mr. J. 
Tatham. Derbyshire, Dr. Howitt. Colesbill, Warwickshire, Rev W. Bree. 
Notts, Mr. T. H. Cooper. Oxfordshire, Mr. Baxter. Somerset, Mr. A. Southby. 
Woking Heath, Surrey, between the Canal and Railway, 2 or 300 yards S.W. 
of the Station-house, Mr. H. C. Watson. Lane between Dorking and Leith 
Hill, and on Addington Hills, beyond Croydon, Surrey ; also on the high heathy 
ground above Tring, Herts, Mr. W. Pamplin. Sussex, Rev. G. E. Smith. 
—Ire. : Kelly’s Glen, Ballynascorney, and other places on the Dublin Moun- 
tains, Mr. Mackay. 
Geo. — I n most of the northern parts of Europe and Asia, and from Canada 
to Pennsylvania in America. 
