#diphasiastrum

[aneides-vagrans]

Some recent forest finds

[vandaliatraveler]

Fan clubmoss (Diphasiastrum digitatum), also known as ground cedar, spreads across the forest floor on long horizontal stems, which produce upright shoots with flat, fan-like, thrice-divided branches reminiscent of cedar leaves. In addition to the lush, beautifully-meshed carpet these ancient vascular plants make on a shady forest floor; their spores contain a flammable oil and were once used to create the explosive flash in magic shows. Photos above were taken on Snake Hill.

[cedar-glade]

a gift from the fairies,  

  Juniperus virginiana, eastern red cedar cones, aka juniper berries. The back ground is a solid mat of  Diphasiastrum digitatum, running fan moss or running ground cedar (not a moss but an early vascular relative or lycophyte). One of many evergreen species found under the lush floor of a cedar glade’s cedar thicket. The smell of these cones is amazing when crushed and it, along with relatives, are used in the flavoring of gin. 

Photographed with @bloodfleurs, Adams co. Ohio.

[paleoplant]

Three species of club-moss in one day. Life.is.good. #clubmoss #lycopod #lycopodium #huperzia #huperzialucidula #diphasiastrum #lycopodiumobscurum #lycopodiumannotinum https://www.instagram.com/p/B2u2KKTgLDx/?igshid=af2jbv2yooeh

[cedar-glade]

Dendrolycopodium dendroideum

An indicator that you no longer are looking at Diphasiastrum digitatum is that this fan club moss doesn’t form dense colonies by stolon and has many levels to it’s branching. The scales are no longer densely appressed in a terete form, instead they are open enough to glance at the ligules hiding in each scale with a hand lense. This species is much larger then Dendrolycopodium hickeyi, Jim Hickey’s fan club. Aside from that Dendrolycopodium spp. are known for a non stalked strobili. Dendrolycopodium hickeyi has many strobilii on average while this species seems to produce few. Another close look alike is a species called “rare club moss”, Lycopodium obscurum, which does have tree like branching but has specific hair like tips to it’s terminal scales. 

So, other clubmosses with cone-like strobili: Spinulum spp. = have stalkless strobili but lack tree-like branching, Lycopodium spp. = stalked strobili and pseudo-awl with hair-like tips, and Diphasiastrum spp.= stalked strobili and scale-like pseudo-awl super appressed with a terete form. Huperzia spp. are more snake like with their dichotomous branching being more distinguishable and overall- large.

[faguscarolinensis]

Lycopodium digitatum / Fan Clubmoss on the John Rock Trail in the Pisgah National Forest in Brevard, NC