Lycopodium digitatum (L. complanatum var. flabelliforme) ground cedar/ fan clubmoss Lycopodiaceae LYDI; R, gb, sv;
Perennial evergreen herb to 30 cm tall, colonial from stems running along the ground or just below the, soil surface, rooting at nodes, leafy stems erect, rather yellow-green, branches flattened, 0.2-0.3 cm wide, fan-shaped. Leaves tiny, scale-like, flat, in 4-ranks, tips sharply pointed, bases broad and fused to branch surface. Spore cones yellow, 2-4 (or more) cm long, 0.5 cm wide, 1-4 or more in a candelabra arrangement above green branches. Wetland status: FACU. Frequency in NYC: very infrequent. Origin: Native. Habitat: Dry, sterile soil in undisturbed open woods or burned or cut-over areas. Notes: Lycopodiums cannot be successfully transplanted or propagated for restoration to natural areas. Habitat protection is the only means of conserving these plants. They have a two stage life cycle and are usually dependent upon specialized symbiotic, mycorrhizal fungi during the […]