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Bristly clubmoss

Bristly clubmoss

Spinulum annotinum

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How common: Very common

Bristly clubmoss is a low, evergreen plant that spreads across the forest floor with bristly, needle-like leaves. A long creeping stem sends up simple upright shoots, each often topped by a short, cone-like head of spores. It is typical of cool, northern forests across the Northern Hemisphere and is easy to spot in shady, mossy woods.

Did you know?

  • Its fine yellow spore powder ignites with a flash and was once used for stage and photo effects.
  • The creeping main stem can grow over a metre long beneath the moss.

About the species

Identification

Evergreen clubmoss forming mats with a creeping main stem. Upright, usually unbranched shoots 10–25 cm tall rise at intervals. Leaves are bright to deep green, stiff and needle-like (7–10 mm), very sharp-tipped and spreading, making the shoots look bristly all around. At the tips in the growing season appear short, yellow‑green cone‑like heads that release spores. Similar fir clubmoss lacks cone heads and looks like tiny bushy firs, while bristly clubmoss has clear cones and slender, evenly bristly shoots.

Plant group

Ferns, horsetails and clubmosses

Habitat

heath forest, herb-rich forest

About the habitat

Grows in moist to fresh conifer and mixed forests and rich woodlands, also along boggy edges; prefers fairly shady, mossy places. Common across the country; rather rare in northern Lapland.

Sources

Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spinulum annotinum Kolcowidłak jałowcowaty 2023-08-25 Dolina Roztoki 04.jpg

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Metsät: tuoreet kankaat, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37691

Text: Pinkka: Yläkoulun Pinkka - Tuore kangasmetsä, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37691

Text: Pinkka: Kasvitieteen retkeily Ahvenanmaalle - Nåtön luontopolku, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37691

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Talvivihreät luonnonkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37691

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riidenlieko

See also