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Common Name: Stiff Club Moss

General Information

Lycopodium annotinum is a Evergreen Fern up to 0.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials.

Known Hazards

The plant contains lycopodine, which is poisonous by paralysing the motor nerves[, ]. It also contains clavatine which is toxic to many mammals[]. The spores, however, are not toxic[].

Botanical References

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Range

Arctic and N. temperate zone, including Britain, south to Spain, the Himalayas and Oregon.

Habitat

Moors on mountains from 50 - 800 metres in northern Britain[].

Properties

Habit	Evergreen Fern
Height	0.50 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Thrives in a rough spongy peat[]. Requires a humid atmosphere[].
Terrestrial members of this genus are hard to establish. The roots are delicate and liable to rot, most water being absorbed through the foliage[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].
Although looking more like a moss, this genus is closely related to the ferns[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The plant has been mixed with clay and used to fill the gaps between logs in log cabins[].
The plant has been mixed with potting compost to act as a fertilizer and make plants growing in it healthier[].

Propagation

Spores - best sown as soon as they are ripe on the surface of a humus-rich sterilized soil. Keep the compost moist, preferably by putting a plastic bag over the pot. Pot on small clumps of plantlets as soon as they are large enough to handle and keep humid until they are well established. Do not plant outside until the ferns are at least 2 years old and then only in a very well sheltered position. The spores are generally produced in abundance but are difficult to grow successfully[].
Layering of growing tips[].