Diphasiastrum
Diphasiastrum complanatum (previously called Lycopodium complanatum).
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Lycopodiophyta
Class:	Lycopodiopsida
Order:	Lycopodiales
Family:	Lycopodiaceae
Genus:	Diphasiastrum
Species
See text.

Diphasiastrum complanatum

Diphasiastrum is a genus of clubmosses in the plant family Lycopodiaceae. It is closely related to the genus Lycopodium, and some botanists treat it within a broad view of that genus as a section, Lycopodium sect. Complanata. Some species superficially resemble diminutive gymnosperms and have been given common names such as ground-pine or ground-cedar.

The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution, in much of the Northern Hemisphere, south in mountains to South America (reaching furthest south in Jujuy Province, northwest Argentina), New Guinea and the Marquesas Islands in the Pacific Ocean, but confined to climates with high humidity for most or all of the year (or, in cool climates, protected by snow cover in winter).

There are 16 species, and numerous natural hybrids in the genus; many of the hybrids are fertile, allowing their occurrence to become frequent, sometimes more so than the parent species. The basal chromosome count for this genus is n=23, which is distinctively different than other lycopods.

Several species have been used economically for their spores, which are harvested as Lycopodium powder.

Species

• Diphasiastrum alpinum Alpine Clubmoss (circumpolar, subarctic and alpine)
• Diphasiastrum angustiramosum (New Guinea)
• Diphasiastrum complanatum Flat-stemmed Clubmoss, Northern Running-pine, or Ground Cedar (circumpolar, cool temperate)
• Diphasiastrum digitatum Fan Clubmoss, Southern Running-pine, or Running Cedar (eastern Canada, northeastern United States)
• Diphasiastrum fawcettii (Jamaica, Hispaniola)
• Diphasiastrum henryanum (Marquesas Islands)
• Diphasiastrum madeirense (Madeira, Azores)
• Diphasiastrum montellii (Russia; syn. D. complanatum subsp. montellii)
• Diphasiastrum multispicatum (Taiwan, Philippines)
• Diphasiastrum nikoense (Japan; syn. D. sitchense var. nikoense)
• Diphasiastrum platyrhizoma (Borneo, Sumatra)
• Diphasiastrum sitchense Alaskan Clubmoss (northern North America)
• Diphasiastrum thyoides (Caribbean, Central and South America)
• Diphasiastrum tristachyum Blue Clubmoss, Blue Ground-cedar (circumpolar, cool temperate; syn. D. complanatum subsp. chamaecyparissus)
• Diphasiastrum veitchii Veitch's Clubmoss (eastern Himalaya east to Taiwan)
• Diphasiastrum wightianum (southeast Asia, New Guinea)

Selected hybrids

• Diphasiastrum × habereri (D . digitatum × D. tristachyum)
• Diphasiastrum × issleri (D. alpinum × D. complanatum)
• Diphasiastrum × sabinifolium (D. sitchense × D. tristachyum)
• Diphasiastrum × zeilleri (D. complanatum × D. tristachyum)

References and external links [link]

• Holub, J. 1975. Diphasiastrum, a new genus in Lycopodiaceae. Preslia 14: 97-100.
• Lycopodiaceae list (treats genus within Lycopodium but gives Diphasiastrum names in synonymy)
• Flora of North America - Diphasiastrum
• Photo of D. complanatum
• Picture and information
• Pictures