Crossword clues for lycopodium
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Lycopodium \Ly`co*po"di*um\, n. [NL., from Gr. ? wolf + ?, ?, a foot.] (Bot.) A genus of mosslike plants, the type of the order Lycopodiace[ae]; club moss.
Lycopodium powder, a fine powder or dust composed of the spores of Lycopodium, and other plants of the order Lycopodiace[ae]. It is highly inflammable, and is sometimes used in the manufacture of fireworks, and the artificial representation of lightning.
Wiktionary
n. club moss
Wikipedia
Lycopodium (from Greek lukos, wolf and podion, diminutive of pous, foot) is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines or creeping cedar, in the family Lycopodiaceae, a family of fern-allies (see Pteridophyta). They are flowerless, vascular, terrestrial or epiphytic plants, with widely branched, erect, prostrate or creeping stems, with small, simple, needle-like or scale-like leaves that cover the stem and branches thickly. The leaves contain a single, unbranched vascular strand and are microphylls by definition. The kidney-shaped or reniform spore-cases ( sporangia) contain spores of one kind only ( isosporous, homosporous) and are borne on the upper surface of the leaf blade of specialized leaves (sporophylls) arranged in a cone-like strobilus at the end of upright stems. The club-shaped appearance of these fertile stems gives the clubmosses their common name.
Lycopods reproduce asexually by spores. The plant has an underground sexual phase that produces gametes, and this alternates in the lifecycle with the spore-producing plant. The prothallium developed from the spore is a subterranean mass of tissue of considerable size and bears both the male and female organs ( antheridia and archegoniae). However, they are more commonly distributed vegetatively through above- or below-ground rhizomes.
About 950 species occur, with 37 species widely distributed in temperate and tropical climates, though they are confined to mountains in the tropics.
The genera Diphasiastrum, Lycopodiella, and Huperzia were once included within this genus, but are now recognized as being distinct. Some workers also segregate several more genera, including Dendrolycopodium for L. obscurum and related species, and Spinulum for L. annotinum and related species.
The spores of Lycopodium and Diphasiastrum species are harvested and are sold as lycopodium powder.
Usage examples of "lycopodium".
It is evenly and not too thickly covered with fine sand or lycopodium powder and then caused to vibrate acoustically by the repeated drawing of a violin-bow with some pressure across the edge of the plate until a steady note becomes audible.
Fitzfarris immediately began canvassing the Apotheken of the city until he found one that stocked the lycopodium flash powder, so he could add his vanishing-girl fillip to the occasion.
While the midget took her bows, Sir John lifted the dwarf horse off the platform and, unnoticed by the applauding crowd, set a sturdy wooden box up there behind Cricket and sprinkled on it some of his lycopodium.
Provence were shaded by palms, and strange ferns, and giant Lycopodia, never as yet enlivened by the song of a bird.
So I was going to suggest that for the sake of the headaches of all future generations of students, as well as for the convenience of the human race which can memorize club moss more readily than Lycopodium Clavatum, we base the nomenclature of our new sciences, and reestablish the terminology of the old, upon English.
Lycopodium complanatum, the American Club Moss, is a small mossy plant with aromatic, resinous smell and slightly turpentiny taste, the stalks hairy and the leaves close set, characteristics which have gained it the popular name of Ground Pine, as in the case of Yellow Bugle.
Fitzfarris immediately began canvassing the Apotheken of the city until he found one that stocked the lycopodium flash powder, so he could add his vanishing-girl fillip to the occasion.
Probably the spores used commercially are derived also from other species in addition to Lycopodium clavatum.