Lycopodium clavatum Stag's-horn Clubmoss

Stag's-horn Clubmoss, is a plant of heaths, moors and mountains in Britain. It was formerly quite widespread but it has disappeared from most of its lowland sites and has becoming more scarce in some of its upland habitats. Its moss-like shoots grow along the ground and it becomes conspicuous when it produces antler-like 'cones' on upright branches. When mature, the cones liberate clouds of spores from their sporangia especially when plants are disturbed by wind and rain. Some spores will give rise to a small undergound gametophyte if they reach a safe site, under the right conditions, and this gametophyte may in turn become fertilised and give rise to an embryonic clubmoss. This process is precarious and its success rate is at best uncertain and probably quite low. However mature plants can live a long time and are able to spread through heathy vegetation effectively. It is mostly restricted to heath and moorland banks along forest roads in upland conifer plantation in West Glamorgan where it is uncommon and getting scarcer. It is susceptible to habitat loss through fire, clearfelling operations and forest road maintenance.

Native