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. eremophila Maxon

DESERT SPIKE-MOSS

Plant mat-like, dense
Stems prostrate to spreading; main stems 5–14 cm; lateral branches < 1 cm, ascending
Leaves decurrent; upper and lower leaves of main stems unequal (lower 1.5–3 mm, upper ± 1.5 mm), ± lanceolate, marginal hairs spreading; young leaves bristle-tipped, bristle < 1 mm, soft, twisted, deciduous; mature tip generally acute
Cone 3–10 mm; leaves ovate to deltate; large spores yellow
Ecology: UNCOMMON. Shaded sites, gravelly soils, crevices, among rocks
Elevation: < 900 m.
Bioregional distribution: e Peninsular Ranges, Sonoran Desert
Distribution outside California: to Texas, Baja California