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Lycopodium annotinum

Common name:	Stiff Club Moss	Family:	Lycopodiaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	17, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	The plant contains lycopodine, which is poisonous by paralysing the motor nerves[21, 218]. It also contains clavatine which is toxic to many mammals[218]. The spores, however, are not toxic[21].
Range:	Arctic and N. temperate zone, including Britain, south to Spain, the Himalayas and Oregon.
Habitat:	Moors on mountains from 50 - 800 metres in northern Britain[17].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	L. annotinum ssp. alpestre[B] L. annotinum ssp. pungens[B] L. annotinum var. acrifolium[B] L. annotinum var. alpestre[B] L. annotinum var. pungens[B] L. dubium[B]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Stiff Clubmoss [FEIS,P], Stiff Ground-pine [L,B],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	annotinum = one year old
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Lycopodiales. Club-moss family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen fern growing to 0.5m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 2. It is in leaf all year, and the seeds ripen from June to September. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

The plant has been mixed with clay and used to fill the gaps between logs in log cabins[257].
The plant has been mixed with potting compost to act as a fertilizer and make plants growing in it healthier[257].

Cultivation details

Thrives in a rough spongy peat[1]. Requires a humid atmosphere[200].
Terrestrial members of this genus are hard to establish. The roots are delicate and liable to rot, most water being absorbed through the foliage[200].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].
Although looking more like a moss, this genus is closely related to the ferns[200].

Propagation

Spores - best sown as soon as they are ripe on the surface of a humus-rich sterilized soil. Keep the compost moist, preferably by putting a plastic bag over the pot. Pot on small clumps of plantlets as soon as they are large enough to handle and keep humid until they are well established. Do not plant outside until the ferns are at least 2 years old and then only in a very well sheltered position. The spores are generally produced in abundance but are difficult to grow successfully[200].
Layering of growing tips[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[L] Scientific and Common Names (some photos) from Lepidoptera and some other life forms
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.

References for lycopodium annotinum (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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