Lycopodium

Lycopodium is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines or creeping cedars, in the family Lycopodiaceae. They are fern-like vascular plants, native to many parts of the world including the Arctic.

Description

Lycopodium species are perennial plants, with different species growing as creeping prostrate subshrubs, erect shrubs, or climbing lianas. They have simple, needle-like leaves or scales and produce yellow or orange colored spores in sporangia borne on specialized leaves (sporophylls).

Taxonomy

The genus Lycopodium belongs to the family Lycopodiaceae, within the order Lycopodiales, in the class Lycopodiopsida. The taxonomy of the genus is complex and still under discussion, with some botanists preferring to treat some species in separate genera.

Uses

Lycopodium powder, made from the spores of species in the genus, is used in pharmaceuticals, as a coating for pills, and in pyrotechnics. Some species are also used in traditional medicine and as ornamental plants.

See also

• Lycopodium powder
• Lycopodium clavatum
• Lycopodium obscurum

External links

• The Plant List: Lycopodium
• eFloras: Lycopodium

Lycopodium Resources
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