Plant · GBIF taxon 2688420
Alpine Clubmoss
Diphasiastrum alpinumAlso known as Alpine Ground-Pine, Alpine Lycopod, Blue Clubmoss
Alpine clubmoss mats closely against exposed mountain soil and heathlands, braving harsh winds with glaucous, blue-green branchlets that resemble miniature cedar sprays. Creeping horizontal stems anchor the plant deeply while erect shoots lift cylindrical spore cones into the breeze from midsummer through early autumn. As an ancient lycophyte lineage, this slow growing perennial plays a vital role in stabilizing fragile alpine tundra soils.
AlpinePerennialSpore-Bearing
Licensed reference(c) Alastair Rae, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Reindeer
- Rock Ptarmigan
ThreatsClimate warming, alpine trail erosion, habitat loss from ski resort development
HabitatsAlpine tundra, subarctic heathlands, exposed montane slopes, acidic rocky moorlands
Life spanPerennial (clones can persist for decades)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyLycopodiaceae
- SpeciesDiphasiastrum alpinum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Recognizable by low-growing, glaucous blue-green flattened branches forming mats in mountain heath.
- Support conservation
- Stay on established alpine trails to avoid stepping on slow-growing vegetative mats.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Look for glaucous blue-green, flattened branchlets hugging low alpine rocks and heath.
- Spore timing: Scan branch tips between midsummer and autumn for upright spore cones.
- Tread carefully: Watch footing on fragile tundra where slow growing mats take decades to recover.
Frequent Companion 
Close Relative (c) Bonnie Semmling, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Family Member (c) Timothy McNitt, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Timothy McNitt · cc-by
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