Diphasiastrum digitatum

(Dillenius ex A. Braun) Holub

Preslia 47: 108. 1975.

Common names: Southern running-pine lycopode en éventail
Basionym: Lycopodium digitatum Dillenius ex A. Braun Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 6: 81. 1848
Synonyms: Lycopodium complanatum var. flabelliforme Fernald Lycopodium flabelliforme (Fernald) Blanchard
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.
Revision as of 21:14, 27 May 2020 by imported>Volume Importer

Horizontal stems on substrate surface, 1.3–2.7 mm wide; leaves appressed to ascending, linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1.8–4.5 × 0.6–1.2 mm, apex acute, scarious, often lost. Upright shoots 15–50 cm, branching regularly successively to 3 times; leaves appressed with decurrent base, subulate, 1.8–3.5 × 0.6–1 mm, apex acute. Branchlets flat in cross section, narrowly bladelike, 2.8–3.9 mm wide, annual bud constrictions very rare; underside dull, pale, flat; upperside green, flat, shiny. Leaves of branchlets 4-ranked; upperside leaves appressed, linear-lanceolate, free portion of blade 0.7–1.5 × 0.5–0.9 mm; lateral leaves appressed to spreading (spreading especially in juvenile stages), 3.1–5.5 × 1–2 mm; underside leaves very weakly developed, spreading, narrowly deltate, 0.3–1 × 0.3–0.7 mm, apex pointed. Peduncles mostly 2, 4.4–12.5 × 0.1–1.3 cm; leaves usually somewhat whorled, linear-lanceolate to nearly filiform, 2–3.3 × 0.5–0.9 mm, apex blunt to acute. Stalks mostly pseudowhorled, 2-forked, forks basal. Strobili 2–4 per upright shoot, 14–40 × 2–3 mm exclusive of elongate sterile tip; sterile tips to 11 mm (occurring on ca. 50% of specimens), apex blunt to acute if sterile tip is absent. Sporophylls deltate, 1.7–2.6 × 1.8–2.8 mm, apex abruptly tapering. 2n = 46.


Habitat: Coniferous and hardwood forests and second growth, shrubby or open fields
Elevation: 0–1500 m

Distribution

V2 575-distribution-map.gif

St. Pierre and Miquelon, N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

An endemic in eastern North America, Diphasiastrum digitatum is the most abundant species of Diphasiastrum on the continent, much used for decoration as wreaths. It was long confused with the circumboreal D. complanatum.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Diphasiastrum digitatum"
Warren H. Wagner Jr. +  and Joseph M. Beitel +
(Dillenius ex A. Braun) Holub +
Lycopodium digitatum +
Southern running-pine +  and lycopode en éventail +
St. Pierre and Miquelon +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
0–1500 m +
Coniferous and hardwood forests and second growth, shrubby or open fields +
Lycopodium complanatum var. flabelliforme +  and Lycopodium flabelliforme +
Diphasiastrum digitatum +
Diphasiastrum +
species +