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LYCOPODIUM Selaginoides.
Prickly Club-Mofs.
CRYPTOGAMIA Ftlices, ex annulate.
G en. Char. Capfules axillary, folitary, o f a valves,
naked, fomewhat kidney-fhaped, comprefled.
Spec. Char. Leaves fcattered, ciliated, lanceolate;
the floral ones larger and more fpreading.
Syn. Lycopodium Selaginoides. Linn. Sp. P i. 1565.
Hudf. With. 757. Hull. 2 3 6 . Dick/. D r .
PI. go. H. Sicc. fafc. 7. 19.
Selaginoides foliis fpinofis. Rail Syn. 106. Dill.
Mufc. 4 6 0 . t. 6 8 .
B l a c k boggy fpots watered with fmall alpine rills, in the
molt mountainous parts of Great Britain, produce this rare
fpecies of Club-mofs, which ripens its fruit in Auguft and
September. We have gathered it on the tops of hills in
Weftmoreland and Scotland, and have received it from near
Middleton in Teefdale, by favour,of the Rev. Mr. Harriman,
Mr. Oliver and Mr. Robfon.
The roots are fmall, fibrous and perennial. Stems much
branched, fpreading, weak and {lender below; the branches
ere£t, leafy, cylindrical, obtufe; thofe which bear fructification
longer and ftouter than the others/ Leaves of a bright
grafs green, fhining, imbricated, lanceolate, fringed with
minute teeth : thofe in whofe bofoms the fruit is lodged are
larger, yellowifFi, and more fpreading. The capfules differ a
little from the reft of the genus, being rounder, and containing
each four round white large feeds, to whofe {hape as they
ftand, one on the other three, the valves of the capfule ex-
aftly conform. In the upper part of each fpike Mr. Sowerby
has found kidney-fhaped capfules full of fine duft, like the
fruit of the other fpecies, which might be taken for anthers,
were it not contrary to all analogy in this tribe. We rather
fuppofe them to be young or abortive fruit.
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