Damigeron's Dungeon: Prestigious Plants - Clubmosses, Quillworts, and Spikemosses

Plant Indices

Alphabetical Index (Genera)
Alphabetical Index (Vernacular)
Cladistic Index

LYCOPODIOPSIDA

Lycopodiopsida is a primitive class of plants, including clubmosses, firmosses, quillworts, and spikemosses. We regard three genera within this class as worth our time and attention:

Lycopodiales
- Lycopodiaceae
  - Huperzia (Firmoss/Fir Clubmoss/Gemma Firmoss)
  - Lycopodium (Clubmoss/Firmoss)
Isoetales
- Isoetaceae
  - Isoetes (Quillwort)
Selaginellales
- Selaginellaceae
  - Selaginella (Spikemoss)

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CLUBMOSS (Lycopodium)

Order: Lycopodiales
Family: Lycopodiaceae

Lycopodium

Europe, Central

German: Krauser Bärlapp

Europe, Western

English: Clubmoss, Creeping Cedar, Creeping Pine, Firmoss, Foxtail, Ground Pine, Plant Sulfur, Running Pine, Stag's-Horn Moss, Wolf's Claw, Wolf's-Foot, Wolf's Paw

French: Lycopode

Cosmopolitan.

Native to:

Africa, Central: Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda

Africa, Eastern: Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Africa, Southern: Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa (Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces)

Africa, Western: Guinea

America, North: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon), Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, United States (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)

America, South: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela

Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia (Altay, Tuva), Xinjiang

Asia, East: China, Japan, Korea, Russia (Amur, Buryatiya, Chita, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Islands, Magadan, Primorye, Sakhalin, Yakutiya), Taiwan
Asia, South: Bangladesh, India (Assam), Nepal, Sri Lanka

Asia, Southeast: Borneo, Cambodia, Indonesia (Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku, Sulawesi, Sumatra), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam
Asia, Western: Russia (Transcaucasus), Tibet, Turkey

Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland

Europe, Eastern: Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Ukraine

Europe, Northern: Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden

Europe, Southern: Italy, Portugal (Azores, Madeira), Spain

Europe, Western: Belgium, France, England, Ireland, Scotland

Oceania: Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia), Chatham Islands, Fiji, Kermadec Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Samoa, Society Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu

Extinct in:

Europe, Southern: France (Corsica)

Biome: Prefers damp tropical and alpine environments but appears in arid locations; does not do well with any human encroachment.

A small, club-shaped vascular plant that may be terrestrial or epiphytic, acquiring nutrition and moisture from the air and debris around it. The leaves are simple and needle-like or scale-like, with stems that usually creep along the ground, forking at intervals. They reproduce asexually via spore pods that develop on the ends of the stems, which is this plant's most economically important feature.

Club
Yes, this is named because it looks like a little battle club—the kind you use to hit people.

Illumination
The flash-powder spores can suddenly light the darkness, bearing the illuminating power of revelation (revealing what is obscured) and the power to blind those accustomed to the dark.

Wolf’s Foot
It is also called “wolf’s foot,” as the roots or the tips of the branches are thought to resemble such.

Plant Sulfur
Lycopod spores are tiny and oily, making them highly flammable. They are yellow-tan in color and dusty in texture. Called “plant sulfur,” lycopodium powder was used in primitive pyrotechnics as a flash powder dating back to antiquity, employing the physics principle of a powder explosion. It also served as one of the earliest flash agents in photography. It was further utilized in fireworks and explosives.

In this pyrotechnic capacity, the spores are ideal for safety and storage. They are so small that there is insufficient space between them to facilitate oxygenation of any combustive reaction in a resting state, so they only burn when aerosolized. This makes lycopodium powder incredibly stable in storage.

Experimentation
Lycopodium powder is helpful in all manner of experiments, as it is used to make sound waves or electrostatic charges visible.

Skin Irritation
They are used for lubricating contact between skin and latex goods (condoms, latex gloves, etc.).

We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.

Used in traditional Austrian medicine internally as tea or externally in compresses for various issues (see Lycopodium clavatum entry below). Presently unverified.

Eye Issues
In Cornwall, clubmosses gathered during certain lunar phases were employed to treat eye issues.

Lycopodium powder is a wonderful and grossly under-exploited material for magical reagents in fantasy fiction. Expound on the possibilities for exploitation!
Chester Carlson used lycopodium powder in his early experiments in xerography (dry-printing).
According to Skinner, Lycopodium was used with dried peas and bowling balls in zigzag troughs to simulate the storm in theatrical productions.
If lycopodium powder can reveal the pattern of electrostatic charge, it could also reveal the pattern of other, more supernatural influences.
The name “plant sulfur” is too good not to exploit.
If lycopodium can produce a blinding flash in the dark, consecrated lycopodium powder might blind the wicked at any time by attacking their acclimation to spiritual darkness.

Common Cluboss (Lycopodium clavatum)

Lycopodium clavatum, Schwäbisch-Fränkische Waldberge, Germany.
Bernd Haynold - Self-photographed

Asia, South

Sinhala: Maha Hattha

Asia, Southeast

Thai: Nakhun Phayanak

Europe, Central

German: Bärlapp

Europe, Northern

Swedish: Korallbärlapp, Mattegräs

Europe, Western

English: Common Clubmoss, Bristly Clubmoss, Ground Cedar, Johnny-Run-Along, Running Clubmoss, Running Pine, Snake Moss, Staghorn Clubmoss, Wolf's Claw, Wolf's-Foot, Wolf’s Paw

French: Lycopode En Massue

Cosmopolitan; undisturbed sites only.

Harvesting Spores
Spores should be harvested when heads are dry and mature, though collecting spores when the pods are green is still possible. For mature pods, cut the plant’s heads and spread them on a sheet to dry until the cones open. Shake and collect powder. For green pods, cut them off and break them open. Place them into a bag and set them in a cool, dry place to induce them to open; shake and remove.

We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.

Medicinal use typically involves the spores but occasionally entails extracts from the entire plant. Apelian and Davis provide recipes for these uses.

Respiratory Issues
Spore decoction is used for chronic respiratory issues, bronchial disorders, etc.

Congestion, Cold, Flu
Spores are effective at drying out mucous membranes and relieving congestion. Mix 1/4 teaspoon spores with water and drink thrice a day.

GI Issues
Apelian and Davis recommend it for treating constipation and flatulence.

UT/Kidney Disorders
Diuretic, facilitating natural detox processes. Use whole-plant decoction for UT and kidney problems. Dose 1-2 tablespoons of decoction 3-4 times a day.

Skin Conditions
The powder is lightly oily and very fine, soaking up moisture. It is purported to work well with skin conditions arising from allergic reactions, sunburns, psoriasis and eczema, viral or fungal infections, contact dermatitis, hives, and insect bites/stings. It can be used as salve or lightly dusted if an oily application is inappropriate.

Wounds
When rubbed into the area of a wound they remove excess moisture and (this compiler presumes) provide a matrix to assist in scabbing. Combined with their purported antimicrobial properties, these should be good for closing wounds.

Arthritis
A decoction of the entire plant is purported to help treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Lycopodium contains trace alkaloids, which can cause paralysis to motor nerves if consumed in large amounts.

Obvious go-to as a reagent.
“Johnny-Run-Along” suggests this can be used to socially deflect, to assist in convincing others to “run along” and mind their own business.

Japanese Clubmoss (Lycopodium japonicum)

Lycopodium japonicum

Asia, East

Chinese: Huo Ba Jue, Jitou Zhuifa

Japanese: Kikko-Kazura, Shiba-Matsu

Europe, Northern

Norwegian: Riseklubb

Europe, Western

English: Japanese Clubmoss, Asian Clubmoss, Banded Tassel Fern, Chinese Clubmoss, Japanese Ground Pine

Asia, East: China (China South-Central, China Southeast), Japan, Taiwan

Asia, South: Bangladesh, India (Assam, East Himalaya, West Himalaya), Nepal, Sri Lanka

Asia, Southeast: Cambodia, Indonesia (Sulawesi), Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam

Asia, Central: Tibet

Asia, East: China (Xinjiang)

Oceania: Solomon Islands

We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.

Used in traditional Chinese medicine for sprains, pulled muscles, and muscle weakness (unknown efficacy).

Included for distribution and purported application.

* * * * * * *

FIRMOSS (Huperzia)

Family: Lycopodiaceae

Species: Huperzia selago

Huperzia selago near Rosenegger Alm, Upper Austria, Austria.
User:Tigerente - Own work

Europe, Central

German: Tannen-Bärlapp, Tannenbärlapp

Polish: Plawun Widlak

Europe, Eastern

Russian: Lopushanka

Europe, Northern

Danish: Voldkarse

Norwegian: Lusegras, Myrlyng

Swedish: Granbafs, Granmossa

Europe, Western

English: Firmoss, Cloth of Gold, Club Nose, Fir Clubmoss, Fir Club-Moss, Mountain Club-Moss, Northern Fir-Moss, Golden Herb

French: Lycopode Dressé, Lycopode Sélagine

Native to:

Africa, Central: Cameroon, Central African Republic

Africa, Eastern: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Africa, Northern: Sudan

Africa, Southern: Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa (Cape Provinces, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces)

Africa, Western: Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Islands, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, St. Helena

America, North: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon), Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico (Central, Gulf, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest), Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, United States (Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)

America, South: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (North, Northeast, South, Southeast, West-Central), Chile (South), Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela

Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Xinjiang

Asia, East: China (North-Central, South-Central, Southeast), Hainan, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Taiwan

Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay, Amur, Buryatiya, Central European Russia, Chita, East European Russia, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Islands, Magadan, North Caucasus, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Primorye, Sakhalin, South European Russia, Transcaucasus, Tuva, West Siberia, Yakutiya)

Asia, South: Bangladesh, India (Assam), Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

Asia, Southeast: Borneo, Cambodia, Christmas Island, Indonesia (Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku, Sulawesi, Sumatra), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam

Asia, Western: Georgia, Tibet, Turkey

Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland

Europe, Eastern: Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine

Europe, Northern: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden

Europe, Southern: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy (Sicily), Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain

Europe, Western: Belgium, England, Faroe Islands, France, Ireland, Scotland

Oceania: American Samoa, Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia), Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (Marquesas, Society Islands, Tubuai Islands), New Caledonia, New Guinea, New Zealand (North Island, South Island), Niue, Norfolk Island, Portugal (Azores, Madeira), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna Islands

Extinct in:

Oceania: Mauritius (Rodrigues)

Circumpolar, including temperate mountains in Tropical regions (Asia)

Africa, Eastern: Madagascar, Réunion

America, North: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Québec, Saskatchewan, Yukon), United States (Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin)

Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Mongolia

Asia, East: China (Xinjiang), Japan, Korea

Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay, Buryatiya, Central European Russia, Chita, East European Russia, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Is., North Caucasus, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Primorye, Sakhalin, Tuva, West Siberia, Yakutskiya)

Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland

Europe, Eastern: Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine

Europe, Northern: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden

Europe, Southern: Albania, Italy (Sicily), North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain

Europe, Western: Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands, England, Scotland

Biome: Alpine, Arctic, and Temperate.

This genus is differentiated from Lycopodium by virtue of its undifferentiated sporangial leaves. Named for their superficial resemblance to [fir trees], these vascular plants produce upright, round shoots with unranked scale leaves.

Huperzia selago is small, sturdy, and stiff, growing 5-20cm (1.9-7.8in) in height with dense scale-leaves that grow in a dense spiral from the stem. Evergreen and perennial. It spores from June to September. In Europe, it grows from Svalbard in Norway to the mountains of Northern Italy and Spain.

Much the same as Lycopodium.

Skinner identifies this as the “golden herb” or “cloth of gold” employed by druids as protection against supernatural creatures and black magic.

The process of attaining these plant virtues is tedious, insisting that one must be ritually hygienic by means of clean and bare feet and sacrificing bread and wine before harvest. A person so prepared may pick the moss with the right hand and, to gain its benefits, pass the plant through their left sleeve into a pouch of virgin cloth as a sachet-amulet.

Skinner identifies a more convoluted harvesting procedure. The virgin Druid priestesses of the Isle of Sein (Île de Sein), the Gallizenae, made offerings of selago to the goddess Ceridwen or used it to make poison for the Celtic warriors. To properly acquire the magical virtues of selago, a maiden must strip naked so that by the paleness of her skin, she might better personify the moon. She must avoid iron for the procedure, for if iron touches the selago it shall bring calamity. After finding the plant, she must draw a circle around it and, with a virgin white cloth thrown over her hand, cover the moss from sight and dig it up by the root with the tip or nail of her pinky finger.

We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.

Native Americans of the Upper Tanana region of Alaska used a poultice of this plant to treat headaches.

In Finland, this plant was traditionally used to treat rickets and maggots. It was also used as an emetic.

Emetic alkaloid.

We note that Skinner’s claims are suspect, as Ceridwen is a Welsh goddess. He identifies Ceridwen as the Celtic Isis. He may have reverse-engineered Ceridwen from his source, who identified the Druids of Sain as worshipping Isis, and he defaulted to his point of reference for the Celts: the Welsh.
The convoluted nature of harvesting does not preclude harvesting without preparation; only that such profane harvesting yields no magical benefits. This suggests that the manner of harvesting is itself a spell to elevate the plant to the role of reagent. It is sacred by process.
The Sain island maiden's covering of the harvesting hand suggests something intimate and sexual by requiring privacy, which provides a contrast with her idealized nudity in manifesting the moon goddess. The layering of this sexual read is perhaps impractically convoluted, but it seems the most sensible read for the dignity afforded the harvested selago.
Convoluted harvesting procedures should be treated as a dimension of consideration for fantasy writers, as the harvesting method can contextualize the intended use and what has been embedded in the plants. A reagent so-set might be an excellent avenue for magical mishap, utilized by someone who has no idea of the manner of its harvesting.
Harvesting procedures could also be employed as a feature of initiation. Outsiders who have their hands on the secret spellbooks of the magician or magical faction (say, a commune of witches) may not be able to successfully perform the magical rites because they do not know the necessary procedures for harvesting the reagents and other resources, the knowledge of which is the prerequisite for magical initiation.
Using the plant to treat rickets (presuming validity) would suggest that it might be rich in Vitamin D or assist in Vitamin D absorption.
“Maggot” is synonymous with “worm” and “larvae,” which are affiliated with spirits of disease and dwarves in Norse mythology. Presuming Skinner is relaying anything factual about the Druids’ belief in the plant’s virtues, the use of the plant to treat maggoty infestation of the flesh may have inspired its magical associations or vice-versa.

Chinese Clubmoss (Huperzia serrata)

Huperzia serrata (syn. Lycopodium serratum) Japanese name; Tougesiba.
Keisotyo.

Asia, East

Chinese: Jin Bu Huan, Qian Ceng Ta, Shan Zhi, She Zu Cao, Shi Song

Europe, Western

English: Chinese Club Moss, Firmoss, Thousand Layer Pagoda, Toothed Clubmoss

America, North: Mexico (Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southwest), United States (Hawaii)

Asia, East: Japan, Korea

Asia, Northern: Russia (Khabarovsk, Kuril Is., Primorye, Sakhalin)

Caribbean: Cuba, Haiti

Retained for names and distribution.

* * * * * * *

QUILLWORT (Isoetes)

Order: Isoetales
Family: Isoetaceae

Isoetes tegetiformans, with US penny for scale.

Europe, Central

German: Brassenfarn

Europe, Northern

Danish: Brasenurt

Finnish: Lahnaruoho

Norwegian: Søpryd

Swedish: Braxengräs

Europe, Western

English: Quillwort, Merlin's Grass

Cosmopolitan; found everywhere but with individual species being scarce.

Native to:

Africa, Central: Angola, Benin, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal

Africa, Eastern: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Africa, Northern: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, South Sudan, Tunisia

Africa, Southern: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa (Cape Provinces, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces)

Africa, Western: Gulf of Guinea Islands

America, North: Belize, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon), Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Greenland, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, United States (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)

America, South: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Asia, East: China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan

Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay, Buryatiya, Chita, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Islands, Primorye, Sakhalin, West Siberia, Yakutiya)

Asia, South: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka

Asia, Southeast: Laos, Myanmar, New Guinea, Thailand, Vietnam

Asia, Western: Lebanon, Syria, Turkey

Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland

Europe, Eastern: Bulgaria

Europe, Northern: Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden

Europe, Southern: Greece (Crete, East Aegean Islands), Italy (Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily), Portugal (Azores, Baleares), Spain

Europe, Western: Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Oceania: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia), New Zealand

Extinct in:

Asia, Southeast: Philippines

Europe, Eastern: Romania

Biome: Aquatic, semi-aquatic.

A genus of aquatic and semi-aquatic lycopods found in ponds, slow-moving streams, and occasionally wet ground that dries out in summer. They are hollow and quill-like in shape, with leaves generally ranging from 2-20 cm (0.8-8 in) and 0.5-3 mm wide, with exceptional examples being up to 100 cm (40 in) in length. They come in evergreen, winter deciduous, and dry-season deciduous varieties.

Possible to play on the relationship between “quill” as from a hedgehog/porcupine/prickly plants and the writing quill.
Certain species are referred to as “Merlin’s grass.” Consider generalizing or substituting in-setting magicians.
Further retained for name and distribution.

Chinese Quillwort (Isoetes sinensis)

Isoetes sinensis

Asia, East

Chinese: Dong Yong Zi Cai, Xian Ning Shui Zi Cai

Europe, Northern

Finnish: Sina Lahnaruoho

Europe, Western

English: Chinese Quillwort

Asia, East: China (China Southeast), Japan, Korea

Biome: Aquatic, Swamps.

Retained for name and distribution.

Lake Quillwort (Isoetes Lacustris)

Isoetes lacustris, Lac du Boucher (43), 01/06/2022.
Gilbert Billard.

Europe, Northern

Danish: Brasenurt, Dybvandsbregne, Sortbregne

Finnish: Vesiloikko

Swedish: Styvt Braxengräs, Tummelisa

Europe, Southern

Portuguese: Alambrasilha

Europe, Western

English: Lake Quillwort, Common Quillwort, Merlin's Grass, Stiff Quillwort, Tarn Quillwor

Boreal, both sides of the Atlantic;

America, North: Canada (Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec, Saskatchewan), United States (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin)

Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay, Central European Russia, East European Russia, Irkutsk, North European Russia, West Siberia)

Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland

Europe, Eastern: Bulgaria

Europe, Northern: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden

Europe, Southern: Spain

Europe, Western: Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands, England, Scotland

Biome: Aquatic, Acidic ponds and mountain lakes (tarns).

Long, narrow leaves 8-20 cm and 0.5-2mm broad, with broad corms. Does not have proper roots, but leaves on the bottom of the corm that serve a similar function. Perennial, with new flushes of leaves in spring and autumn.

Prefers slightly acidic ponds and tarns, between 5-460 cm (0.05-4.6 m) in depth.

Considered synonymous with Isoetes hieroglyphica. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a way to make the connection to exploit this scientific name.
See notes on “Merlin’s grass” in the above entry.

Land Quillwort (Isoetes Histrix)

Isoète épineux (Isoetes histrix).
Peter de Lange.

Europe, Northern

Danish: Pigmæbrasenurt

Swedish: Taggig Braxengräs

Europe, Western

English: Land Quillwort, Atlantic Quillwort, Brongniart's Quillwort, Dwarf Quillwort, Mediterranean Quillwort, Porcupine Quillwort, Spiny Quillwort, Terrestrial Quillwort

French: Epineux

Mediterranean region.

Africa, Northern: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia

Asia, West: Lebanon, Syria, Turkey

Europe, Southern: Greece (including Crete), Italy (including Sardinia, Sicily), North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (including Balearic Islands)

Europe, Western: France (including Corsica), England, Scotland

Biome: Aquatic, Temporary wet environments/vernal pools.

Leaves 3-8 cm long, summer deciduous. Usually, it has large black scales between the bases of the leaves (corms).

Vernal pools are possible doorways to seasonal faerie worlds. The condition of this quillwort could be a signifier, possibly the condition of the black scales.

* * * * * * *

SPIKEMOSS (Selaginella)

Order: Selaginellales
Family: Selaginellaceae

Selaginella bryopteris, Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, Spain.
L. Fdez. - Own work.

Europe, Northern

Danish: Dværgulvefod

Finnish: Pikkusammallaji

Norwegian: Lommemose

Swedish: Kryptogräs, Mosslummerväxter, Mossslägtet

Europe, Western

English: Spikemoss, Coral Moss, Lesser Clubmoss, Little Club Moss, Resurrection Plant, Rock Spike-Moss

French: Selaginelle

Latin: Mosslycopodium

Mostly tropical, occasionally arctic-alpine in both hemispheres, occasionally deserts.

Native to:

Africa, Central: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda

Africa, Eastern: Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, Rodrigues, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Africa, Northern: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia

Africa, Southern: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa (Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces)

Africa, Western: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

America, North: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon), Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, United States (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)

America, South: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela

Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia (Altay, Tuva, West Siberia), Xinjiang

Asia, East: China, Japan, Korea, Russia (Amur, Buryatiya, Chita, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Islands, Magadan, Primorye, Sakhalin, Yakutiya), Taiwan

Asia, South: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India (Assam), Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

Asia, Southeast: Cambodia, Indonesia (Borneo, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku, Sulawesi, Sumatra), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam

Asia, Western: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen

Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland

Europe, Eastern: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Ukraine

Europe, Northern: Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden

Europe, Southern: Greece, Italy, Portugal (Azores, Madeira), Spain (Baleares, Canary Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily)

Europe, Western: Belgium, France, England, Ireland, Scotland

Oceania: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia), Christmas Island, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu

Extinct in:

Europe, Central: Hungary

Distinguished from clubmosses by their scale leaves with a ligule (tongue-like projection at the leaf junction), as well as producing two different kinds of spores corresponding to the male and female gametes (heterospory).

Resurrection Plant
Desert Selaginella species fall under the “resurrection plant” label because they roll up tight as they desiccate in the desert sun and heat, turning into a brownish-red ball, only to uncurl and turn green again in the presence of moisture.

We have highlighted only one species of many available in this genus that have any significant information to contribute: Selanginella bryopteris. Any other potentially useful in our cursory research looked to be New World plants; hence, they were not in our realm of interest.
Otherwise retained for name and distribution.

Sanjeevani (Selaginella bryopteris)

Selanginella bryopteris

Asia, South

Hindi: Sanjeevani, Sanjeevani Booti

Kannada: Jeevani

Malayalam: Jeevani

Marathi: Sanjeevani

Sanskrit: Sanjeevani

Tamil: Jeevani

Telugu: Jeevani

Urdu: Habb-e-Hayat

Asia, South: India (Assam, East Himalaya, West Himalaya), Nepal

Biome: Tropical hills/mountains.

Sanjeevani
A candidate for the legendary medicinal herb in the Ramayana, the "one that infuses life” (sanjeevani).

We are not a medical website, do not take health advice from us.

Used to treat these conditions (scientific validation pending):

Heat Stroke
Dysuria
Irregular Menstruation
Jaundice

Sanjivini Powder
The powder of this spikemoss is used as an inhalant to bring people out of comas.

Sanjeevani/sanjivini would be an excellent name for a physician, a body of medical texts, or a place of healing.
Spikemoss powder can be handy for breaking people out of comas, enchantments, mesmerism, or other stupefied states. It could be a key ingredient in status effect items for an RPG setting.
Expand on the “one that gives life” idea and find new ways to apply the herb in ways both pure and profane.

* * * * * * *

Prestigious Plants

Plants
Flowers
Trees
Ferns
Moss and Lichen [Pending]
Fungi [Pending]
Cladistic Index
Herbal Medicine [Pending]
Resin, Incense, Balsam, and Lacquer [Pending]

Clear Cosmology

Fire [Pending]

[Img 01 - https://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5034079 ]

[Img 02 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycopodium_clavatum#/media/File:Lycopodium_clavatum_151207.jpg ]

[Img 03 - https://agric4profits.com/25-medicinal-health-benefits-of-lycopodium-japonicum-japanese-clubmoss/ ]

[Img 04 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huperzia_selago#/media/File:Huperzia_selago.jpg ]

[Img 05 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huperzia_serrata#/media/File:Lycopodium_serratum_tougesiba01.jpg ]

[Img 06 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Isoetes_tegetiformans.jpg ]

[Img 07 - https://www.alamy.com/isoetes-sinensis-tc-palmer-isoetes-sinensis-tc-palmer-image362466752.html ]

[Img 08 - https://bioobs.fr/blog/fiche-espece/?id_espece=2077 ]

[Img 09 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoetes_histrix#/media/File:Isoetes_histrix.jpg ]

[Img 10 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selaginella#/media/File:Selaginella-sp.jpg ]

[Img 11 - https://www.dreamstime.com/green-leaf-selaginella-bryopteris-tree-thriving-lithophytic-plant-native-to-india-used-medicinally-one-image143661649 ]

-Apelian, Nicole, and Claude Davis. The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies : The Healing Power of Plant Medicine. 2021.

-Skinner, Charles M. “Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits, and Plants : In All Ages and in All Climes : Skinner, Charles M. (Charles Montgomery), 1852-1907 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott Co., 1 Jan. 1970, https://archive.org/details/mythslegendsoffl00skin.

Name assistance provided by Claude 3.5 Sonnet.

Damigeron's Dungeon

Monday, September 2, 2024

Prestigious Plants - Clubmosses, Quillworts, and Spikemosses

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