Lycopodioideae

Lycopodioideae is a subfamily in the family Lycopodiaceae in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is equivalent to a broad circumscription of the genus Lycopodium in other classifications. Like all lycophytes, members of the Lycopodioideae reproduce by spores. The oldest fossils of modern members of the subfamily date to the Early Cretaceous.

==Description== The sporophytes of Lycopodioideae species are relatively short herbaceous plants. They have stems with pseudomonopodial branching in which unequal binary branching produces the appearance of a main stem with secondary side branches. The main stems are indeterminate and of various forms, including rhizomatous, creeping, trailing and climbing. They usually form roots at intervals along their length. The branches are usually determinate (i.e. of limited growth and extension). Sporangia are borne at the bases or in the axils of special spore-bearing leaves (sporophylls), which are notably different from the normal leaves, and are usually grouped into compact terminal structures (strobili). The strobili may be either upright or drooping.