FLOKA ANTAECTICA. [Auckland and
10. LYCOPODIUM, L.
1. L ycopodtom scmiosum, Foist. P n i r . n. 484. Spr. S p t. Veg. vol. iv. p. 18. Hook, and Grev. in Bot.
Misc. vol. Ü. p. 388. L. Jiissieui, Besv. Enegcl. Bot. Suppl. vol. iii. p. 534. W'illd. et auctorum. L. reptans.
Banks and Sol. MSS. in Bihl. Banks.
H ab . Lord Auckland’s group; in woods. B . Lgall, Esq.
Sil- J. Banks and Dr. Solander it would appear were amongst the original discoverers of this species, though
it is of so general occurrence thi-oughout many pai-ts of the tropics, as veiy probably to exist in some of the older
Herbaria. Forster’s name seems to have been entii-ely overlooked by botanists; it is attached to a specimen, preserved
ill the British Museum, of the plant now well known under the name of X. JiissieniDesv., a very widely diffused
species, especially throughout the S. American continent. Mr. Colenso has collected it in the mountainous interior of
the noiihern island of New Zealand, and Sh- J. Banks and Dr. Solander in Admiralty Sound. There exist, in Herb.
Hook., South American specimens from as fai- south as Valdivia, and also from Peru, New Grenada, and Jamaica,
where it appears to he abundant, vamng slightly in habit, being sometimes suberect or ascending, but more generally
haring a long trailing caudex, w'Iúch sends up erect branching stems.
The X. scariosim belongs to a sinaU section of the genus, whose natural position is between the two great
groups, namely, that ivith the leaves imbricated all roimd the stem, and that in which they are stipulate, distichous,
Ind more or less of a membranous texture. The spikes of this section are generally pedunculate and often branched,
as in this species and X. complmiatmu, L .; hut sometimes sessüe, which is the case with X. decumns, B r .; in the
former character, as in the coriaceous foliage, often indistinct stipides and arctic, alpine or temperate habitats, tliis
section differs from the tropical distichous-leaved dirisioii to which the foi-m of foliage approximates it. Like most
natural groups, the limits of this cannot be very strictly defined; Mr. Brown's X. decurrms has the sessüe spikes of
the tropical species of Selaginella and some states of X. complmiatmu; approaching forms of X. Alpnmm, D.. pass into
the imbricated ones. The aUics of X. scariosum are few ; I am acquainted with the foUowing; 1. X. decurrem, Br.,
only known ns an inhabitant of the Alps of Tan Diemen's Land; 2. X. complanalim, L.. this is a veiy widely diffused
plmit throughout the temperate and arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and America; we possess specimens of a very similar,
if not the same species, fr-om upper India and the Peninsula of Hindostán, as also from Jamaica, from Mexico, Columbia.
Peru, Cnraecas and BrazU, it is the X. thuyoides, H. B. K .; 3. X. volubile, Forst., a very common New Zealand species
this Ind the two foUowing have compound panicles of spikes, with elongated and spreading branches; 4. L.filkaule*
(rid infra) ; 6. (vid. infra) ; 6. X. WigUimmm., WaU., some states of this have the leaves towards the
» L.filkaule, Hook. til. ; vage ramosum, caule gi-acUlimo nudo tereti valde ramoso, rainis divancatis paten-
tihus filifonnihus compressis foliosis utrinque stipulatis, fobis altei-nis oppositisve hiiearibus longe decurrentibus parte
superiore solum bbero cmwato subulato apice pilifero, stipubs parvis raris pilifcris, pUis diapbanis, spicis plurimis
pediceUatis paniculatis incbnatis v. pendubs, squamis late ovatis acuminatis.
Hab. Upper India. Moflong fir forest Kliaisya HiUs. Mr. Griffiths. A veiy fine species ; the branches are of
a dusky red color when dry ; the ultimate ones, with the leaves, 1 bne across. The panicles of spikes are lateral,
3M indies long and spreading; the spikes themselves, ) - ) inch long, generally cmwing.
t X. comam. Hook. fil. ; pendulum, caule dichotome ramoso tereti hinc iUinc cicatricato nudo v. fobis diaphanis
sparsis. ramis longissimis pendnUs gracilibus flaeekbs pluries divisis valde compressis utrinque stipulatis foliosis. foliis
distichis suboppositis alternisve longe bnearibns per totam fere longitudinem dcciuTentibus coadimatis apicibus solum
liberis acutis. stipulis scariosis raris, spicainm paniculis laterabbus valde ramosis, ramis pedicclhsqnc teretibus foliis
sparsis lanceolatis scariosis obsitis, spicis longe pediccbatis arcuatis, squamis ovatis in laminam erosaui scariosam
diapliaiiam productis.
apices of the branches quadiifarious, iu others they are so almost throughout the branches, it is probably not different
from,— 6. L. alpimmi, in Avhich they are sometimes distichous, when the more sessile spikes alone distinguish
it from L. complanaium. The quadrifarious disposition aiises from the stipules becoming leaves. Of other species,
referred to this section in the Botanical Miscellany (1. c.), there are no specimens in Herb. Hook. L. alpinum I have
mentioned as perhaps a doubtful species of this section, its leaves being sometimes imbricated even in more than four
scries; in some Noiway specimens the spike-bearing branches are elongated and become rather bare of leaves, Avhich
are also more appressed, thus exhibiting a manifest approach toAvards some species with pedicellate frnctitication. I t
may further be remarked that L. complanaium is not a British, and L. alpinum hai'dly an American plant.
The leaves of X. dendroideum, Mich., a species apparently confined to North America, are sometimes partially
distichous; they are not, hoAvever, coadúnate Avith the branches, as in tliis gi-oup.
2. L ycopodium clavatuniy L., var.— L. magellauicimi, Swartz Syn, Fil. p. 1 8 0 . Willd. Sp. Fl. vol. v.
p. 15. Gaud. Fl. Ins. Mai. in Ann. Sc. Nat. vol. v. p. 98, and in Freycinet, Voy. Hot. pp. 1 3 0 and 282.
D’Urv. Fl. Ins. Mai. in Mem. Soc. Linn. Paris, vol. iv. p. 597.
H ab. Lord Auckland’s gi’onp and Campbell’s Island; on the hiUs, not uncommon; but only found at
a considerable elevation.
These specimens differ iu no respect fi’om others Avhich I have gathered in the Falkland Islands and on Jloimt
Wellington, Tasmania, and have considered to be the L. fastigiatum. Brown, (Prodi-., p. 165). The Falkland
Island plant, Avhich is also common in Antarctic Ameiica, varies from one to many inches in height. The caudex
is ascending or creeping, often one to íavo feet long, naked or clothed with leaves; the branches are erect and divide
in a pariicled fonn, and are copiously leafy; the leaves are subacute or acuminated, ahvays more or less cmwed,
but are at some times much more numerous than at others. In starved alpine specimens the spikes are solitaiy
and often sessile : as the plant inhabits lower levels and more faA'oui'able situations its peduncles elongate, fork or
branch, and bear tAvo or more spikes ; the spikes themselves vary from 4- to 3 inches long, with the scales ovato-
lanceolate, acuminate, rather variable in length, and more or less recurved.
The species of Lycopodium arc liable to gi-eat variation, as a copious suite of any one avüI readily show; many
of them have been examined and characterized Avith reference to the coimtiy they inhabit aud their congeners
in that country, and have not been compared Avith tbe Avhole genus. As our collections increase, specimens are
constantly presenting themselves, AA'hich tend to unite the species of tAvo distant localities; partly because they partake
of the characters of both, and also because, coming as many do, from intermediate stations, they strengthen
the supposition that such are mere forms of one Avidely diffused plant. It is seldom that a collector has the time,
and few have the iiicUiiation, to preserve such a series of specimens from one locabty, as Avill give any idea of the
amount of variation a species may be liable to, iu a limited ai'ca; on tbe other hand, the extreme varieties are collected
as ÍAV0 different species, and a future author is often obliged to describe as a thii’d an unrecorded state of what
actually exists in both situations. The X. magellanicum, Sav., presents a case in point. In the Falkland Islands, states
of it are not imfrequently met v ith in all respects resembbng the X. clavatum, excepting that the leaves are not
H ab. Philippine Islands; Cuming, no. 2343.
A very fine species. Branches 1-3 feet long, about a line broad, liuid red. Leaves 3 lines long, Avholly coii-
sobdated Avith the branch, except their apices, Avhich are sometimes fr'ee and acute, or more rarely AAutli a cbaphanoiis
point. The stipules arc often frregularly placed, generally Avith long diaphanous acuminated apices, appressed to
the branch. The pedicels of the spikes and branches of the panicle have leaves similar to the stipules. Panicles
3- 4, inches long, their pedicels about an inch; the spikes ciuved, about f inch, their scales Avith long suberect or
patent diaphanous apices.
U