Common Club Moss, Running clubmoss
Lycopodium clavatum

Family: Lycopodiaceae

What it is like

Lycopodium clavatum is an evergreen Fern growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in leaf all year. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.1

Where it is found

Moorland, fields and pastures, it is rare in lowland areas.

Arctic and temperate zones of N. America, Europe and Asia; C. America; S. America; Caribbean; scattered through tropical Africa and tropical Asia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 3

With its wide native range, the plant has found a wide range of medicinal uses around the world. There has been considerable research into the active constituents of the plant. The aerial parts contain dihydrocaffeic acid, which has a blood pressure-lowering effect, as well as alkaloids such as lycopodine, chinoline, clavatine, clavatoxine and annotinine, which all cause an increase in blood pressure. Lycopodine also stimulates the peristaltic movements of the intestine and contraction of the uterus. The aerial parts also contain derivatives of cinnamonic acid and flavonoids. A methanol extract of the plant showed strong prolyl-endopeptidase-inhibiting activity and is expected to have activity against loss of memory. The spores contain about 50% greenish-yellow acidic oil, 3% sugar, 1 - 4% ash and a trace of a volatile alkaloid. A decoction of the plant is analgesic, antirheumatic, carminative, mildly diuretic, stomachic and tonic. It is used internally in the treatment of urinary and kidney disorders, rheumatic arthritis, catarrhal cystitis, gastritis, dysentery, malaria etc. The whole plant is chewed to induce vomiting after food poisoning or acute stomach pain. The sun-dried, pulverized leaves are mixed with plantain and milk, and the mixture is given in small doses to children to cure diarrhoea and dysentery. It is applied externally to skin diseases, wounds, ulcers and irritations. The whole plant is grilled with sugarcane and banana skins and applied to cracked lips to promote healing. The plant can be harvested all year round and is used fresh or dried. The spores of this plant are antipruritic, decongestant, diuretic, stomachic and styptic. They are applied externally as a dusting powder to various skin diseases, to wounds or inhaled to stop bleeding noses. They can also be used to absorb fluids from injured tissues. The spores are harvested when ripe in late summer. The spores can also be used as a dusting powder to prevent pills from sticking together. A homoeopathic remedy is made from the spores. It has a wide range of applications including dry coughs, mumps and rheumatic pains. The plant is one of the ingredients of a remedy to alleviate jet lag.

Analgesic: Relieves pain.

Antipruritic: Treats itching of the skin.

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Decongestant: Removes phlegm and mucous, especially from the respiratory system.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.

Homeopathy: A plant used in homeopathic treatments.

Malaria: Treats malaria - an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites spread to people through the bites of mosquitos.

Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Urinary: Treats urinary problems, including urinary tract infection (UTI).

Other

Rating: 3

The spores are water repellent and can be used as a dusting powder to stop things sticking together. They are also used as a talcum powder and for dressing moulds in iron foundries. They can also be used as explosives in fireworks and for artificial lightning. The plant can be used as a mordant in dyeing. The stems are made into matting.

Cosmetic: Used to improve the physical appearence of a person.

Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.

Mordant: Used for making a dye more permanent, it also affects the colour of the dye.

Weaving: Items such as grass and palm leaves that are woven together for making mats, baskets etc. See also Basket making and Fibre.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

A plant with a very wide range, found at sea level in the Arctic circle to highland areas above 1,300 metres in the tropics. It is hardy to at least -15°c. Thrives in a rough spongy peat in a shady position. Requires a humid atmosphere. Lycopodium clavatum is very variable, and there is a nearly continuous series of forms from compact plants with parallel branches and firm, imbricate leaves to amply branched plants with diverging branches and soft, spreading leaves. The former is typical for cold and exposed habitats, the latter for warm and sheltered locations. Terrestrial members of this genus are hard to establish. The roots are delicate and liable to rot, most water is absorbed through the foliage. The subterranean prothallus develops slowly and reaches sexual maturity after 6 - 15 years and may live for 20 years. It is top-shaped, differentiated into various tissues and lives in close symbiosis with a fungus, possibly a species of Pythium. Without the fungus, the development of the gametophyte stops at an early, few-celled stage. Once the sporophyte has established, it can spread rapidly by the long creeping stems. If competition with higher growing plants is not strong, it is long-lived and slowly forms large colonies. The spores are used as a reference in pollen traps used to monitor pollen in the air to establish hay-fever risks. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. Although looking more like a moss, this genus is closely related to the ferns.

Propagating it: Spores - best sown as soon as they are ripe on the surface of a humus-rich sterilized soil. Keep the compost moist, preferably by putting a plastic bag over the pot. Pot on small clumps of plantlets as soon as they are large enough to handle and keep humid until they are well established. Do not plant outside until the ferns are at least 2 years old and then only in a very well sheltered position. The spores are generally produced in abundance but are difficult to grow successfully. Layering of growing tips.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade;

Habit: Fern

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Full shade, semi-shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The plant contains lycopodine, which is poisonous by paralysing the motor nerves. It also contains clavatine which is toxic to many mammals. The spores, however, are not toxic. may stimulate the central nervous system. Take under medical supervision .

Its other names

Local names

Common Club Moss

Synonyms

Lycopodium eriostachys. Lycopodium mayoris. Lycopodium piliferum. Lycopodium trichophyllum.