Pseudolycopodiella caroliniana — slender false bog-clubmoss

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Gemma arrangement

  NA

  Gemma shape

  NA

  Gemma width

  0 mm

• Leaves

  Leaf differences

  the vegetative leaves within a node differ in size and shape

  Leaf length

  2–6 mm

  Leaf orientation

  • the vegetative leaves are pressed against the stem
  • the vegetative leaves spread away from the stem

  Leaf outline

  the vegetative leaves are long and very narrow (linear)

  Leaf ranks

  NA

  Leaf shape

  the vegetative leaves are short and scale-like

  Spore leaf length

  2.8–3.3 mm

  Teeth on leaf edges

  the edges of the vegetative leaves have no teeth

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  Massachusetts

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields
  • shores of rivers or lakes

• Spores or spore cones

  Cone base at stem

  • the base of the spore-cone does not have a distinct stalk
  • the base of the spore-cone has a distinct stalk

  Cone stalk branching

  the stalks bearing the spore cones are unbranched

  Cone thickness

  0.9–3 mm

  Cone width

  3–5 mm

  Length of cone

  9–30 mm

  Number of cones

  1

  Quillwort itssue covering spores

  NA

  Same or different spores

  there is only one type of spore present

  Spore diameter

  Up to 0.05

  Spore leaf arrangement

  the sporophylls are located on spore cones at the tips of the shoots or branches

  Spore leaf lifespan

  the sporophylls wither and fall off at the end of the growing season

  Spore leaf orientation

  the sporophylls are pressed against the spore cone

  Spore leaf shape

  the spore-bearing leaves are small and scale-like

  Spore leaf teeth

  The edges of the spore-bearing leaves are smooth, and without teeth

  Spore texture

  the spore surface has an irregular pattern of ridges and empty spaces (rugulate), or it has minute pits on it (foveolate)

  Sporophyll ranks

  • the sporophylls come off the cone at many different angles (5 or more ranks)
  • the sporophylls line up to form an X (4 ranks of leaves)

  Sterile tip of cone

  the spore cone does not have a slender, sterile tip (the whole cone produces spores)

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branch cross-section

  the outermost level of branches are round, elliptic or semicircular in cross-section

  Branch form

  the main stem has no branches

  Constriction zones

  • there are no constrictions on the horizontal stem with smaller leaves
  • there are no constrictions on the vertical stem with smaller leaves

  Form of shoot

  the plant has an upright stem, but no branches

  Horizontal stem

  the horizontal stem is on the surface of the ground

  Horizontal stem length

  40–85 mm

  Horizontal stem thickness

  0.6–1 mm

  Stem height

  50–150 mm

Wetland status

Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)

In New England

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key