# fan clubmoss (*Diphasiastrum digitatum*) Fan clubmoss is a neat little plant that looks like a green fan! It grows in shady places and is part of a special group of plants called clubmosses. They have been around for a very long time, even before dinosaurs! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 22 - **Habitat:** Forests ![fan clubmoss](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Diphasiastrum_digitatum_001.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jaknouse, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diphasiastrum_digitatum_001.jpg) ## Appearance The fan clubmoss has distinct flattened, fan-like branches that resemble tiny, many-fingered hands. Its evergreen foliage is a vibrant deep green, often with a slightly bluish tint, forming dense carpets on the forest floor. It visually stands out with its intricate, layered branching. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Lycopodiopsida - **Order:** Lycopodiales - **Family:** Lycopodiaceae - **Genus:** Diphasiastrum ## Interesting facts - Clubmosses are actually more closely related to ferns than true mosses. - Its tiny spores are so fine, they were once used for camera flash powder! - Some individual clubmoss colonies can live for hundreds of years! - This plant is a living fossil; its relatives grew alongside dinosaurs millions of years ago! ## Special abilities - **Evergreen Endurance:** Fan clubmoss has tough, evergreen leaves that help it stay green and make food all year, even in cold winters. - **Spore Power:** Fan clubmoss reproduces using tiny spores instead of seeds, an ancient plant strategy that helps it spread widely. - **Underground Explorer:** Fan clubmoss has creeping rhizomes that help it spread across the forest floor and find new places to grow. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-30 cm - **Spread:** 30-100 cm - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses on its evergreen foliage, especially in winter. - **Shelter:** [Eastern Gray Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Uses its dense ground cover for hiding and foraging. - **Shelter:** Silky Ant (*Formica subsericea*) — Ants often forage among its creeping stems and leaf litter. ## Traits - [Nonvascular](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nonvascular): This trait characterizes plants lacking specialized vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) for transporting water and nutrients. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless a grown-up says it's okay. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify fan clubmoss? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is fan clubmoss? 5-30 cm ### How wide does fan clubmoss spread? 30-100 cm ### Is fan clubmoss edible? No ### Is fan clubmoss toxic? None ### What is fan clubmoss's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is fan clubmoss pollinated? Wind ### Where is fan clubmoss usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Blackbird State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackbird-state-forest) — Delaware, US · Forest - [Cedarville State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedarville-state-forest) — Maryland, US · Forest - [Chesterfield Gorge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chesterfield-gorge) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Copicut Woods](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/copicut-woods) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/joseph-e-ibberson-conservation-area) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park - [New Boston Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-boston-village-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District [View all places to see fan clubmoss](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fan-clubmoss) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Fan Clubmoss: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fan-clubmoss)