Cassiope lycopodioides (Pall.) D. Don
club-moss mountain-heather (clubmoss mountain heather)
Ericaceae (Crowberry family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Ryan Batten     (Photo ID #53163)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Cassiope lycopodioides
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Dwarf shrub, mat-forming; stems prostrate or decumbent, 5-20 cm long, about 2 mm wide including appressed leaves.
Leaves:
Evergreen, opposite, 4-ranked but not in four distinct rows, appressed, egg- to lance-shaped, 1.5-3 mm long, thinly papery-margined, often fringed and long-hairy at tip, the concave upper surface often hairy, the convex lower surface not grooved; unstalked.
Flowers:
Solitary in leaf axils, nodding on glabrous stalks up to 10 mm long, longer than the subtending leaves; corollas cream to white, bell-shaped, the lobes shorter than the tube, 5-7 mm long; calyces 2-2.5 mm long, papery-margined.
Fruits:
Capsules, globe-shaped, about 3 mm wide.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Cassiope lycopodioides

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
860 750 990
Slope Gradient (%)
55 20 88

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

171 20 240
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 2 4
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
B
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
7
Modal BEC Zone Class
CMA

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

AT(1), CMA(4), MH(2)

Habitat and Range

Mesic to dry slopes, heath, and meadows in the subalpine and alpine zones; infrequent in NW BC, rare on NW Vancouver Island; amphiberingian, N to AK; NE Asia.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Cassiope lycopodioides subsp. cristipilosa
Cassiope lycopodioides subsp. lycopodioides