Green in Winter: Ground Cedar and Running Ground Pine

Exceedingly rare in Indiana, the little-known and poorly recognized Ground Cedar (Lycopodium tristachyum) is occasional in semi-dry, sandy, early-successional flats behind the dunes, mainly in LaPorte County. This plant is sometimes called Diphasiastrum tristachyum.

Photographed in LaPorte County, Indiana on December 28, 2011.

It is similar to the somewhat common Running Ground Pine or Fan Clubmoss (Lycopodium complanatum var. flabelliforme) shown below, but the latter has horizontal stems at the surface and “leaves” on the lower side of the branch much reduced and not overlapping. In addition, the antrorse lateral leaves of the latter are slightly more appressed, a little less spreading.

Photographed in LaPorte County, Indiana on December 31, 2011.

One could make a full time job out of trying to stay current with the bothersome revolving door of clubmoss nomenclature. To wit, the latter species has the following handles involved in its identity crisis: Diphasiastrum digitatum, Lycopodium digitatum, L. complanatum, L. flabelliforme, and L. complanatum flabelliforme. Some botanists feel obligated to provide all 4011 names so as not to offend anyone’s tender sensibilities, alas.