Lycopodium alopecuroides

9.9

A low plant like a small pine with bristly leaves that grows in sandy coastal areas of eastern United States

noun

Specialized

: Lycopodium alopecuroides

Botanists identified the specimen as Lycopodium alopecuroides due to its dense, bristly foliage.

Examples

The bristly leaves of Lycopodium alopecuroides help distinguish it from other types of ground pine.
The Lycopodium alopecuroides thrives in sandy coastal areas.
Lycopodium alopecuroides is often found in sandy, coastal habitats along the eastern United States.
Look at that Lycopodium alopecuroides!
Lycopodium alopecuroides thrives in moist, sandy regions along the eastern coast of the United States.
The distinctive, bristly leaves of Lycopodium alopecuroides make it easy to recognize in coastal vegetation.
In eastern and southeastern United States, you can often find Lycopodium alopecuroides growing in peaty soil.

Surface Forms

Lycopodium alopecuroides singular

Lycopodium alopecuroides plural

Morphology

Lycopodium + alopecuroides

This is a Latin binomial (scientific species name); the specific epithet 'alopecuroides' is not a standard English word and provides no transparent, compositional cue for a B1 learner. Taxonomic names function as arbitrary labels for species and require prior botanical knowledge or exposure, so the meaning cannot be derived from the constituents.

Etymology

Lycopodium alopecuroides comes from old Greek words that give a clear picture: Lycopodium means 'wolf's little foot' because its small, low branches look like a paw, and alopecuroides means 'like a fox tail' because its bristly leaves look tail-like. So the name helps you remember this ground pine by its paw-like, bristly appearance.