Club-shaped club moss (lat. Lycopodium clavatum) is found in pine and mixed forests. Thin evergreen grassy shoots crown dense spikelets. But these are not inflorescences, because the club moss is the highest spore plant and never blooms. Reproduction and life cycle have peculiar features associated with the ancient origin of the entire group. It differs in a number of features and the structure of the clavate club moss.
Living fossils
In the Paleozoic era, forests of tree-like horsetails, club mosses and ferns covered vast expanses of the planet. Over time, these groups of organisms, for the reproduction of which water is needed in a drop-liquid form, have given way to more adapted plants - gymnosperms and flowering plants. Tree clubs - lepidodendron and sigillaria, which reached a height of 40 m, did not survive in this struggle for existence. But it was they who gave rise to powerful coal seams in some regions of the planet. Modern plants of the Lycops family are unlikeappearance to lush carbon vegetation, but they have inherited the breeding method and developmental cycle of their ancient ancestors.
Why is the plant called "clown"?
From the initial place of attachment of one of the stages in the life cycle of the club moss - the growth - creeping green stems begin to grow. Along the perimeter they are still young, without spore-bearing spikelets, and in the central ring they are obsolete. It seems that the club-shaped club moves through the forest. This is due to the constant death of old shoots and the growth of new ones. The Slavic peoples have long noticed the feature and gave the “floating” plant the name “plun” (quicksand). The origin of the Latin name of the genus of club mosses is interesting. It is related to the German word for wolf's paw. So in the old days the club was called in Germany. In the 16th century, the word was translated into Latin, resulting in Licopodium. Different peoples call the moss "lycopodium", "derezoy".
Features of clowns
Peculiar and very ancient plants are found in the forest zone of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The genus Lycopodium, to which the club club belongs, existed in the forests of the Paleozoic over 350 million years ago. Many signs indicate that this group is gradually fading away. But in the structure of club mosses there are features of a higher organization compared to mosses. You can get acquainted with them on the example of a club club.
Ancient signs:
- dichotomous branching;
- spiral leaf arrangement.
Features of higher plants in the club moss:
- differentiated tissues;
- leafy herbaceous stems;
- real roots.
A characteristic feature is microphilia associated with the origin of leaves from superficial stem outgrowths.
Structure of club club moss
The whole perennial (asexual stage) looks fluffy with many deviant small leaves. They have a linear-lanceolate shape, each ends in a white extremely brittle hair. The club club has a long and thin creeping stem. This peculiar living cord reaches a length of 1 to 4 m. Lateral ascending shoots (50 cm) originate from it. There is no tap root, there are only adventitious, with which the plant is attached to the ground. Long thin legs with sparsely spaced leaves lead from the stem to thickenings at the top of the shoot. These are spore-bearing spikelets, having a cylindrical shape and reaching a length of 4 cm. Usually collected in twos, less often there are groups of three or four. The sporangia are located in the axils of the spores. Each of these sacs is filled with small spores.
Gametophyte structure
The spores of the club moss give rise to the gametophyte, or outgrowth. The structure of the club-shaped club at this stage is completely different from the perennial plant, as we are used to seeing it. The sporophyte reaches a diameter of just over one millimeter. This growth is a temporary phenomenon in the life of a plant, but very necessary. If disputes are inunfavorable conditions, they cannot give rise to a new organism for a long time. The microscopic gametophyte cannot absorb nutrients on its own; it uses the “services” of soil fungi. If the spores quickly germinate on the surface, then the translucent growth acquires a pale green color and is capable of photosynthesis. Under favorable conditions, the gametophyte matures faster. Sexual gametes arise in special formations. Female - eggs - large and motionless. Male spermatozoa are small, equipped with flagella and move quickly. Sex cells mature at different times. Male cells need droplets of water to move to the eggs. When the gametes fuse, fertilization occurs. The zygote begins to divide, giving rise to the cells and tissues of the future sporophyte.
Life cycle of club club moss
Trace the development of a plant from spores to an adult plant. It is him that we usually see in the forest or in the photo "Club-shaped club moss". In the sporangia sacs of spikelets, a huge number of spores resembling a yellow powder ripen in summer. The structure of dust particles can only be seen under a microscope. Chemical analyzes indicate a significant content of vegetable fat in them. Spores spill out in July-August, are carried by the wind through the forest and serve to spread the club moss. In the soil under favorable conditions, germination begins. A gametophyte outgrowth is formed, resembling a small pea with a tail. Sexual reproduction of the club-shaped club moss - an intermediate stage in lifecycle for genetic diversity. After the formation of gametes and fertilization, a microscopic sporophyte appears on the outgrowth. In its structure, you can already see a thin green stem and leaves. The shoot rushes towards the light, and the root goes down into the soil. More often, the clubmoss reproduces vegetatively - each of its lashes, which has roots, is able to survive without a mother plant.
Practical use of club moss
The spores of the plant known as Lycopodium are used for medicinal purposes. Raw materials collected in natural conditions are used to prepare baby powder and anti-decubitus remedies. Lycopodium contains:
- butter;
- proteins;
- polysaccharides;
- sitosterol;
- phenolcarboxylic acid;
- minerals.
Folk healers appreciate the wound healing abilities of lycopodium, they recommend it for burns, frostbite. The herb has anti-inflammatory properties and is used for diseases of various organs and systems. The external forms of medicines from the spores of the club moss help with eczema, boils, and lichen. Treatment with club moss preparations should be carried out on the recommendation and under the supervision of a doctor.
Environmental Requirements
The stems of the club moss gradually "spread" away from the original place of germination of the dispute. The ability to form them in a plant appears on the 15-30th year of life. The germ dies at the stageformation of shoots and roots. The structural features of the club-shaped club moss and its reproduction predetermined the distribution sites of the plant. Undemanding to soils, it needs drops of water for fertilization at the sexual stage. The club finds such conditions in many regions and countries, including Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. The plant is found predominantly on sandy soils in light pine forests. Less often - in mixed and deciduous. In the last half century, the number of club mosses has decreased significantly. One of the problems of the renewal of the range is associated with the slow formation of spore-bearing spikelets. In forests, vegetative shoots can be found much more often than generative ones. In addition, suitable conditions for spore germination are not always found. They can die from drying out or not give rise to a gametophyte for years. This is only part of the environmental issues associated with the oldest plant on Earth. It can repeat the fate of its neighbors on the planet in the distant Paleozoic - lepidodendron and sigillaria.
Deforestation, their transformation into agrolandscapes has had a negative impact on the sexual and asexual reproduction of club moss. It is being protected in a number of US states, where the plant is recognized as rare and in need of protection.
