Phlegmariurus Species, Club Moss

CLUBMOSS
Widespread throughout most moister regions of the world, the 100 or more species in this genus are an ancient group of pl...Read Moreants whose larger ancestors, along with those of the horsetails (Equisetum), dominated the world's vegatation around 250 million years ago. Considered more primitive than the ferns but more advanced than the mosses, they range from tiny thread-stemmed plants that grow in boggy ground below heath, to large epiphytes that form curtains of ferny foliage on the limbs of tropical rainforest trees. All share similar cord-like stems clothed with overlapping, bright green or golden-green scale-like leaves. Club mosses do not flower but instead bear tiny spore capsules between the scales of delicate small cones (strobili).
CULTIVATION:
Only the epiphytic species are cultivated to any extent, mainly by fern enthusiasts. Outdoors in the tropics they prefer part-shade and a permanently moist niche in the fork of a tree. Elsewhere they require a greenhouse or conservatory maintained at high humidity, and can make dramatic specimens in hanging baskets. Hang in positions with some air movement; they are sensitive to excess water around the roots. Propagate form cuttings or by layering fertile stem tips.