74 
FERNS. 
[. Lycopodium . 
LYCOPODIUM, Linn. CLUB-MOSS. 
(From Xvkoq, a wolf, and irovg, noSog, a foot ; the ends of the steins appearing 
like the hairy feet of some animals.) 
A, spike of fruit of Lycopodium selayinoides, natural size. B, two leaves or 
bracts of ditto; one showing the receptacle for larger spores; the other the 
receptacle for the smaller. C, receptacle opening and scattering the smaller s))ores. 
D, epidermis of a leaf. E, section of the stem. F, receptacle or sporange of large 
spores. G, spore. 
A very extensive genus of no less than 140 species, found in all parts of the 
world, some in the hotter, and others in the colder countries. Six only are natives 
of Britain, and these are far inferior in beauty of appearance to many of foreign 
growth. The Lycopodia were always taken for and called Mosses 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 ; many species of the Lycopodia bear it in 
terminal scaly spikes, in 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 roots grow from every part of the stem 
which touches the ground. 
LYCOPODIUM CLAYATUM. 
COMMON CLUB-MOSS. FOXTAIL. STAG’S HORN. AVOLF’s CLAAV. 
(Plate VI, fig. 1.) 
Ciia. — Stem trailing. Leaves linear, incurved, hair-pointed. 
Thecae in naked, stalked, double spikes. Scales ovate, serrate. 
Syn. — Lycopodium clavatum of most botanists. — Muscus clavatus seu Lyco- 
podium, Ger., Park.,8fc. — Lycopodium officinale, Neck. — Lepidotis clavata, 
Beauv. 
Fig. — E. B. 224. — Ger. 1562. — Phytologist, No. \,p. 1. 
Des. — R oots fibrous, at the forks of the stem. Stem branched, 
several feet long, lying on the ground, bright green. Leaves crowded, 
linear, curved, Avith a long, diaphanous, hair-like point. Spikes of 
fruit cylindrical, usually in pairs, yellow, about an inch long, 
supported upon a rigid, upright long stem, which is void of leuA r es, 
but set at intervals with whorls of very fine, short setae. Scales of 
the spikes broadly ovate, pointed, and dentate or serrate. Tliecoe 
large, round, one to three, attached to the base of each scale, and 
filled with a very fine yelloAv poAvdcr (spores). 
Vir. — For the virtues of this plant, see page 19 ; in addition to which it is said 
to he used to ameliorate wines, but its emetic properties render this doubtful. 
