Lycopodiaceae

Clubmosses take their name from the club-like strobilus in which the sprorangia are borne in most species. In the clubmosses, each sporangium is associated with a leaf called a sporophyll.

Leaves Leaves = microphylls.

Microphylls can be four-ranked, as in Diphasiastrum digitatum ...

or they can be spirally arranged, as in Huperzia lucidula

Forked branching, branches equal Forked branching, branches unequal

Branching in clubmosses p Branching in clubmosses

Sporangia are borne on the upper, or adaxial, surface of the sporophyll.

In some species, such as shining clubmoss, sporangia are borne along the stem axis.

The sporangia themselves are reniform (kidney-shaped)

Lycopodium clavatum, one of about 15 clubmoss spp. in Vermont

Huperzia Diphasiastrum Lycopodiella Some of the clubmoss genera in Vermont Lycopodiella

Lycopodium sitchense (alpine) an alpine clubmoss species Diphasiastrum digitatum, a VT species a tropical epiphytic species

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Land Plant Phylogeny Bryophytes Lycophytes Ferns Gymnosperms Angiosperms