Stag's-horn Clubmoss

A very ancient group

A little plant with no striking flowers but gracefully flattened leaves. The clubmoss belongs to an ancient group of spore bearing plants that dominated the Earth’s flora 300 million years ago and grew as tall as trees.

Today clubmoss species have adopted a creeping habit with some yielding stems a few metres long. The stag’s-horn clubmoss has bright dark green leaves that ends in a fine hair-like white point, which makes the plant appear soft to the touch. In the summer it forms upright, bifurcated sporophylls that turn yellow in the autumn.

The stag’s-horn clubmoss is toxic to mammals because it contains alkaloids such as lycopodine and clavatine. It is widely cultivated for medicinal purposes but a too high a dose can lead to bleeding and allergic reactions.

Ecology and habitat

The stag’s-horn clubmoss has a wide distribution across all continents except Antarctica and Australia. This species occurs mainly in the northeast and central regions of the Netherlands. Its creeping habit allows it only to grow in open, sparsely vegetated places, mainly on rather dry and nutrient poor, sandy soil on heaths and open woods, especially following soil disturbance. It can often be found in sheltered places where the soil is not too dry.

Threat

Amongst other factors, the stag’s-horn clubmoss has declined as a result of increased air pollution. It also requires a degree of disturbance in the soil enabling the species to colonise open places. Over the last few years the air quality has improved and more sandy areas have been excavated to create new habitats. New populations are now beginning to appear occasionally.