SELAGINELLACEAE

SPIKE-MOSS FAMILY

Dieter H. Wilken

Plants on soil, rocks, or other plants, cespitose, mat-like (± flat), or cushion-like (rounded)
Stems pendent to erect, short to widely spreading, rooting at base or in branch fork; branches intricately intertwined or not
Leaves many, simple, overlapping, appressed, small, ± scale-like, 1-veined, smooth to grooved on back, sessile to decurrent, generally 4-ranked; fertile leaves at same node of prostrate stems equal or not, if unequal, leaves below stem generally appressed, leaves above stem ascending to spreading
Cones generally terminal; leaves like those on sterile stems or not, generally strongly overlapping, triangular in X -section
Sporangia 1 per leaf axil, spheric to reniform; lower generally with (1–3)4 large, 3-ridged, yellow to orange spores; upper generally with many, small, generally pale-colored spores.

SELAGINELLA

SPIKE-MOSS

The only genus
Species in genus: ± 700 species: worldwide, generally tropical and warm temp
Etymology: (Latin: small Selago , ancient name for some Lycopodium )
. Some cultivated as groundcover and curiosity (S. kraussiana, S. lepidophylla , resurrection plant). Hand lens required to observe leaf shape, margin, bristle at tip, cones
Horticultural information: TRY; DFCLT.

Native

S. densa Rydb. var. scopulorum (Maxon) Tryon

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPIKE-MOSS

Plant mat- to cushion-like, ± open
Stems ± spreading to decumbent, 2–8 cm; lateral branches ascending to ± erect, 1–2.5 cm
Leaves: lower decurrent; upper sessile; upper and lower leaves of main stems unequal (lower > upper), 2–4 mm, linear to narrowly lanceolate, bristle-tipped, bristle < 1 mm, soft, margin sparsely ciliate to minutely dentate, hairs ascending
Cone generally 10–30 mm; leaves lanceolate to ovate
Ecology: UNCOMMON. Open, rocky sites, coniferous forest
Elevation: 1500–2200 m.
Bioregional distribution: n Klamath Ranges
Distribution outside California: to British Columbia, ND, n Mexico
Synonyms: S. engelmannii Hieron. var. s. (Maxon) Reed