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Lycopodium

(Genus)

Overview

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Lycopodium is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines, in the family Lycopodiaceae, a family of fern-allies (see Pteridophyta). They are flowerless, vascular, terrestrial or epiphytic plants, with widely-branched, erect, prostrate or creeping stems, with small, simple, needle-like or scale-like leaves that cover the stem and branches thickly. The fertile leaves are arranged in cone-like strobilli. Specialized leaves (sporophylls) bear reniform spore-cases (sporangia) in the axils, which contain spores of one kind only. These club-shaped capsules give the genus its name.

Lycopods reproduce sexually by spores. The plant has an underground sexual phase that produces gametes, and this alternates in the life cycle with the spore-producing plant. The prothallium developed from the spore is a subterranean mass of tissue of considerable size and bears both the male and female organs (antheridium and archegonia). However, it is more common that they are distributed vegetatively through above or below ground rhizomes.

There are approximately 200 species, with 37 species widely distributed in temperate and tropical climates, though they are confined to mountains in the tropics.

Species

Uses

The term Lycopodium is also used to describe the yellowish, powdery spores of certain club mosses, especially Lycopodium clavatum, used in the past in fireworks, fingerprint powders, as a covering for pills and explosives. The term "Lycopodium mask" is sometimes used to describe a type of flamethrower-mask worn by some music bands or artists on stage, such as Rammstein, most notably on the song Feuer frei!, featured in the movie xXx. In Physics experiments, the powder is also used to make sound-waves in air visible for observation and measurement. In homeopathy it is commonly used as a polycrest remedy.

Lycopodium powder is also used to make a pattern of electrostatic charging visible. For example, Chester Carlson used lycopodium powder in his early experiments to demonstrate xerography.

Taxonomy

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The Genus Lycopodium is further organized into finer groupings including:

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 15:39:30