Nomenclature
Club-moss spores; Lycopodium seed (spores); vegetable sulfur. Description and references
Spores of Lycopodium clavatum L., Lycopodiaceae. The spores of Lycopodium annotinum L., and of L. anceps Wall., Lycopodiaceae can
also be used. The spores contain a substance called selagnine. Habit. North America, Europe, Asia; cultivated
in Russia.
Properties
The spores are a fine yellowish powder which is
highly flammable. Odorless and tasteless. Unctuous to the touch
and easily sticking to the fingers. Lycopodium powder is very mobile
and when poured on a flat surface should form an even layer, without
visible lumps or dimples. When observed in chloral hydrate soln it
is seen that the powder consists of unicellular lycopod spores, about
30 μ in diameter, in the shape of triangular pyramids with a convex
base and rounded angles; a three-radical suture runs from the top
of the pyramid along its facets. After warming and crushing the spores
between glass slides, they burst along the suture and yield drops
of oil, assuming a red color with alkalies. Adulteration usually
consists of the admixture of flour (detected microscopically with
iodine soln which stains the starch grains of the flour violet).
Other admixtures may be pine pollen and sawdust. When mounted with
chloral hydrate, pine pollen is larger than lycopodium, it is oval
and has two lateral flying sacs, filled with air, and appearing black
at the beginning of the observation. Sawdust is easily detected by
the phloroglucinol test.Use
As covering for pills or suppositories; in explosives,
pyrotechnics, flashlight powders; as “dry parting compound” in foundry
work for ornamental and nameplate castings. Review: Appel,
Sci. Mon. 78, 268 (1954).
Therapeutic Category
Adsorbent.