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Lycopodiaceae: The clubmosses
Many of you may recognize clubmosses, the family of Lycopodiaceae, from a walk
in the woods. They often form a fluffy carpet on forest floors with acidic soil.
From the evolutionary perspective, the clubmosses are ancient plants. Fossil
finds have shown that plants very similar to today’s clubmosses already existed
350 million years ago. Not true ferns, they are classified as „fern allies“.
Clubmosses differ from true ferns by their long, dichotomously branched stems,
which are densely covered with tiny, scale-shaped leaves. Thereby clubmosses
get a nearly coniferous appearance, why they are sometimes known as ground pine.
The clubmoss family is found around the world, from the Arctic tundra to islands
off the Antarctic coast. They’re common in tropical regions, and an especially
wide array of species has developed in the Andes of South America. Some of them,
mostly of the genus Huperzia, are epiphytic and live in tropical rain forests.
Their spike-like sporangia develop at the tips of the overhanging shoots. However,
as reproducing these plants from spores is difficult, they are propagated in the
Botanic Garden by cuttings.
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Lycopodiaceae: The clubmosses (MP3, 560 KB)
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