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Alaskan Clubmoss - Lycopodium sitchense
Other Names:
Diphasiastrum sitchense
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
13 collections at MONTU from 5 western Montana counties.
General Description
Alaskan Clubmoss is a low evergreen perennial with clustered, branching, upright shoots growing from slender, above-ground or slightly buried, rooting, horizontal stems. Branches are circular in cross-section, most are short at 3-10 cm, vegetative, and bear leaves in longitudinal rows of five. The thick, firm, incurved, sharp pointed green leaves are 3-6 mm long and less than 1 mm wide. Fewer, taller reproductive branches, up to 17.5 cm tall, have similar but less crowded leaves, often in ranks of six, and bear one or more terminal club-like cones where spores are produced. The cones, about 1-4 cm long, are composed of tightly packed straw colored or slightly greenish sporophylls, ca. 2-3 mm long and 1.5-3 mm wide, with kidney-shaped sporangia attached within at their bases.
Phenology
Producing spores in late June or July.
Diagnostic Characteristics
Distinguished from all other related species and genera in our area by the combination of branches circular in cross section, and with leaves of vegetative branches all alike in five rows. A hand lens is needed for positive identification.
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
In MT known from Lincoln, Flathead, Missoula, Ravalli, and Lewis and Clark counties; Japan, AK to NL south to OR, MT, and NY (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 32
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Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
Open, often rocky places at montane to alpine zones.
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?
Lellinger, D.B. 1985. A Field Manual of the Ferns and Fern-Allies of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Inst. Press. Washington, D.C. B85LEL01PAUS- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
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