Diphasiastrum alpinum
Species of spore-bearing plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diphasiastrum alpinum, the alpine clubmoss, is a species of clubmoss.[2] This plant is a glaucous scale-leaved perennial pteridophyte. In Finland, the spores are produced June to September.[3] It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his Flora Lapponica, 1737, from specimens obtained in Finland.
| Diphasiastrum alpinum | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Lycophytes |
| Class: | Lycopodiopsida |
| Order: | Lycopodiales |
| Family: | Lycopodiaceae |
| Genus: | Diphasiastrum |
| Species: | D. alpinum |
| Binomial name | |
| Diphasiastrum alpinum | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Synonymy
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Description
Diphasiastrum alpinum have 30-50 cm long stems, with 3-5 cm long branches. The stems are upright, 4-edged, growing densely in branchy bunches. The leaves are small, scale-like, wintering and parallel to the stem.[3] The leaves are hollow at the bases.[4] The spore-cases are in sessile, 1-1,5 cm long, densely cylindrical spore cones.[3] The female stems produce strobili up to 3 cm (1 in) long.[5][6][7]
Diphasiastrum alpinum may hybridize with Diphasiastrum sitchense.[4]
Distribution
It has a circumpolar distribution across much of the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere: much of Canada, the northwestern United States, northern and central Europe, Russia, China and Japan. It is an indicator of alpine tundra and boreal climates.[4] It is found in mountains and moors often with Calluna and grasses.[1][8][9]
