Ground-pine, tree groundpine • Lycopodium dendroideum, L. obscurum • Heiltsuk/Haíɫzaqv - ƛ̓ín̓a
{lycos = wolf, podus = foot}
Ground-pine growing in bogs. The one at left is beginning to produce cones, while some of the ones in the right-hand image are unhealthy or dying (yellow and brown). Photos by, left to right: Kelly Fretwell, Cody Gold, and Ian Thomas.
Identification
Ground-pine resembles a miniature pine tree but is actually a species of clubmoss: a vascular plant that reproduces by spores (like mosses and lichens) rather than seeds (like most other vascular plants). Ferns and horsetails share these characteristics. As long as it is not mistaken for a pine seedling, ground-pine is not difficult to recognize. It is an evergreen perennial, with upright tree-like stems that grow from horizontal stems similar to rhizomes. The upright stems grow to 30 cm tall, are branched, and are lined with many needle-like leaves. Single, stalk-less, yellowish-brown cones grow on the branch tips.
Habitat & Range
Ground-pine grows in dry to moist conditions from low to middle elevations. Common habitats include forests, thickets, around bogs, and in rocky or sandy openings. Within BC its range extends along the coast and inland into Central BC. It is also found on northern Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii. Its global range includes most of Canada, the northern United States, and eastern Asia. Click here for the North American range map.
Similar Species
A similar clubmoss is ground-cedar (Lycopodium complanatum). As the name indicates, it is more similar to a cedar tree in appearance, with scale-like rather than needle-like leaves. It also has stalked cones, while ground-pine cones are stalkless. Ground-cedar also tends to be somewhat less tree-like in appearance than ground-pine.
Intriguing Info
Ground-pine and other Lycopodium species sometimes form 'fairy rings' under certain conditions.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/199979-Dendrolycopodium-dendroideum
Ground-pine resembles a miniature pine tree but is actually a species of clubmoss: a vascular plant that reproduces by spores (like mosses and lichens) rather than seeds (like most other vascular plants). Ferns and horsetails share these characteristics. As long as it is not mistaken for a pine seedling, ground-pine is not difficult to recognize. It is an evergreen perennial, with upright tree-like stems that grow from horizontal stems similar to rhizomes. The upright stems grow to 30 cm tall, are branched, and are lined with many needle-like leaves. Single, stalk-less, yellowish-brown cones grow on the branch tips.
Habitat & Range
Ground-pine grows in dry to moist conditions from low to middle elevations. Common habitats include forests, thickets, around bogs, and in rocky or sandy openings. Within BC its range extends along the coast and inland into Central BC. It is also found on northern Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii. Its global range includes most of Canada, the northern United States, and eastern Asia. Click here for the North American range map.
Similar Species
A similar clubmoss is ground-cedar (Lycopodium complanatum). As the name indicates, it is more similar to a cedar tree in appearance, with scale-like rather than needle-like leaves. It also has stalked cones, while ground-pine cones are stalkless. Ground-cedar also tends to be somewhat less tree-like in appearance than ground-pine.
Intriguing Info
Ground-pine and other Lycopodium species sometimes form 'fairy rings' under certain conditions.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/199979-Dendrolycopodium-dendroideum
References
Lycopodium dendroideum Michx. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 28/08/2013.
Pojar, J. and MacKinnon, A. (1994). Plants of Coastal British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine Publishing. P. 433.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2013).
Lycopodium dendroideum Michx. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 28/08/2013.
Pojar, J. and MacKinnon, A. (1994). Plants of Coastal British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine Publishing. P. 433.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2013).