Species

Lycopodium - Lycopodiaceae

Lycopodium clavatum L.

Photo: P. Ballings
Zimbabwe

Synonyms	Lycopodium clavatum L. var. inflexum (P. Beauv.) Spring Lepidotis clavata (L.) P. Beauv. Lepidotis inflexa P. Beauv. Lycopodium inflexum (P. Beauv.) Sw Lycopodium ciliatum (P.Beauv.) Sw. Lycopodium clavatum L. var. borbonicum Bory, Voy
Common name
Description	Main stem branched, creeping, giving rise to erect, unequally dichotomously branched, secondary stems 20-60(-80) cm tall at intervals of 5-10 cm. Foliage leaves set at right angles to branches, with tip bent forwards, suberect or overlapping, uniform, linear-lanceolate in outline, 3-7 × 0.3-0.75 mm, margins entire, apex with a fine hair-like point up to 3 mm, margin usually entire but some stem leaves might be ciliate; the apical hairs appear tufted at the end of the young shoots and dry a characteristic orange-brown colour. Fertile parts arranged in strobili; strobili 2-6, 1-8 x 0.4-0.6 cm, cylindrical, borne on a slender, sparsely leaved, simple or branched peduncle up to 22 cm long. Sporophylls broadly ovate in outline, up to 3 × 2 mm, acuminate into a long hair-point, margins finely lacerate.
Notes	Easy to recognize by its branched erect stems arising from a creeping stem.
Derivation	clavatum: club-shaped, referring to the shape of the stalked strobilus.
Habitat	Forest margins, streambanks in montane areas and in full sun along road embankments.
Distribution worldwide	Africa, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands and in temperate climates throughout most of the world.
Distribution in Africa	Angola , Burundi , Cameroon , Dem. Republic of Congo , Equatorial Guinea (incl. Bioko), Ethiopia , Guinea , Ivory Coast , Kenya , Lesotho , Malawi , Mozambique , Nigeria , Rwanda , Sierra Leone , South Africa , Sudan and South Sudan , Swaziland , Tanzania , Uganda , Zambia , Zimbabwe .
Growth form	Terrestrial.
Literature	Burrows, J.E. (1990) Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 18 - 19. (Includes a picture). Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011) Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide. Struik Nature. Pages 38 - 39. (Includes a picture). Fisher E. & Killmann D. (2008) Illustrated Field guide to the Plants of Nyungwe National Park Rwanda. University of Koblenz-Landau. Pages 42 - 43. (Includes a picture). Fisher E. & Lobin W. (2024) Checklist of Lycopodiopsida (clubmosses and quillworts) and Polypodiopsida (ferns) of Rwanda.Willdenowia, 53 Page 154. Hedberg, I; Friis, Ib & Persson, E (2009) Lycopodiaceae to Pinaceae.Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea, vol.1 Pages 8 - 9. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 140 - 141. (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979) Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia. Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych. Pages 29 - 30. Lawalree, A. (1989) Lycopodiaceae.Flore d' Afrique Centrale, Pages 13 - 14. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13 Pages 21 - 22. Roux, J.P. (2009) Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands. Strelitzia 23, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Pages 18 - 19. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta.Flora Zambesiaca, 0 Pages 20 - 21. Tardieu-Blot, M.-L. (1964) Ptéridophytes vol.3.Flore du Cameroun, Pages 16 - 17. Vercourt, B. (2005) Lycopodiaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Pages 11 - 13. (Includes a picture).