''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of
vascular plant
Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They al ...
s in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from
Lycopodiaceae
The Lycopodiaceae (class Lycopodiopsida, order Lycopodiales) are an old family of vascular plants, including all of the core clubmosses and firmosses, comprising 16 accepted genera and about 400 known species. This family originated about 380 mil ...
(the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having
spores of two types. They are sometimes included in an informal paraphyletic group called the "
fern allies
Fern allies are a diverse group of seedless vascular plants that are not true ferns. Like ferns, a fern ally disperses by shedding spores to initiate an alternation of generations.
Classification
Originally, three or four groups of plants were ...
". ''
S. moellendorffii'' is an important
model organism
A model organism (often shortened to model) is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workin ...
. Its genome has been sequenced by the
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United Stat ...
's
Joint Genome Institute
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), first located in Walnut Creek then Berkeley, California, was created in 1997 to unite the expertise and resources in genome mapping, DNA sequencing, technology development, and i ...
. The name ''Selaginella'' was erected by Palisot de Beauvois solely for the species ''
Selaginella selaginoides
''Selaginella selaginoides'' is a non-flowering plant of the spikemoss genus ''Selaginella'' with a wide distribution around the Northern Hemisphere. It resembles a moss in appearance but is a vascular plant belonging to the division (botany), di ...
'', which turns out (with the closely related ''
Selaginella deflexa
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...
'') to be a clade that is sister to all other ''Selaginellas'', so any definitive subdivision of the species into separate genera leaves two taxa in ''Selaginella'', with the hundreds of other species in new or resurrected genera.
''Selaginella'' occurs mostly in the tropical regions of the world, with a handful of species to be found in the arctic-alpine zones of both hemispheres.
Description
''Selaginella'' species are creeping or ascendant plants with simple, scale-like leaves (
microphylls
In plant anatomy and evolution a microphyll (or lycophyll) is a type of plant leaf with one single, unbranched leaf vein. Plants with microphyll leaves occur early in the fossil record, and few such plants exist today. In the classical concept of ...
) on branching stems from which roots also arise. The stems are aerial, horizontally creeping on the substratum (as in ''
Selaginella kraussiana
''Selaginella kraussiana'' is a species of vascular plant in the family Selaginellaceae. It is referred to by the common names Krauss' spikemoss, Krauss's clubmoss, or African clubmoss, and is found naturally in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and in ...
''), sub-erect (''
Selaginella trachyphylla
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...
'') or erect (as in ''
Selaginella erythropus
''Selaginella erythropus'' is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae family, endemic to the Yucatan and Belize to Colombia and was introduced to Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muun ...
''). The vascular
steles
A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek language, Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ...
are polystelic
protostele In a vascular plant, the stele is the central part of the root or stem containing the tissues derived from the procambium. These include vascular tissue, in some cases ground tissue (pith) and a pericycle, which, if present, defines the outermost b ...
s. Stem section shows the presence of more than two protosteles. Each stele is made up of
diarch (having two strands of xylem) and
exarch
An exarch (;
from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'', meaning “leader”) was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical.
In the late Roman Empire and ea ...
(growing outward in)
xylem
Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem. The basic function of xylem is to transport water from roots to stems and leaves, but it also transports nutrients. The word ''xylem'' is derived from ...
s. The steles are connected with the cortex by means of many tube-like structures called
trabeculae
A trabecula (plural trabeculae, from Latin for "small beam") is a small, often microscopic, tissue element in the form of a small beam, strut or rod that supports or anchors a framework of parts within a body or organ. A trabecula generally has ...
, which are modified endodermal cells with
casparian strips
The Casparian strip is a band-like thickening in the center of the root endodermis (radial and tangential walls of endodermal cells) of vascular plants (Pteridophytes and Spermatophytes). The composition of the region is mainly suberin, lignin and ...
on their lateral walls. The stems contain no pith.
In ''Selaginella'', each microphyll and sporophyll has a small scale-like outgrowth called a
ligule A ligule (from "strap", variant of ''lingula'', from ''lingua'' "tongue") is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk of many grasses (Poaceae) and sedges. A ligule is also a strap-shaped extension of the corolla, such as that of a ...
at the base of the upper surface.
The plants are
heterosporous
Heterospory is the production of spores of two different sizes and sexes by the sporophytes of land plants. The smaller of these, the microspore, is male and the larger megaspore is female. Heterospory evolved during the Devonian period from isos ...
with spores of two different size classes, known as megaspores and microspores.
Unusual for the lycopods, which nearly always have
microphylls
In plant anatomy and evolution a microphyll (or lycophyll) is a type of plant leaf with one single, unbranched leaf vein. Plants with microphyll leaves occur early in the fossil record, and few such plants exist today. In the classical concept of ...
with a single unbranched vein, the microphylls of a few ''Selaginella'' species contain a branched vascular trace.
Under dry conditions, some species of ''Selaginella'' can survive dehydration. In this state, they may roll up into brown balls and be uprooted, but can rehydrate under moist conditions, become green again and resume growth. This phenomenon is known as
poikilohydry
Poikilohydry is the lack of ability (structural or functional mechanism) to maintain and/or regulate water content to achieve homeostasis
In biology, homeostasis (British English, British also homoeostasis) Help:IPA/English, (/hɒmɪə(ʊ)ˈste ...
, and poikilohydric plants such as ''Selaginella bryopteris'' are sometimes referred to as
resurrection plants A resurrection plant is any poikilohydric plant that can survive extreme dehydration, even over months or years.
Examples include:
* ''Anastatica hierochuntica'', also known as the Rose of Jericho, a plant species native to deserts of North Africa ...
.
Taxonomy
Some scientists still place the Selaginellales in the class
Lycopodiopsida
Lycopodiopsida is a class of vascular plants known as lycopods, lycophytes or other terms including the component lyco-. Members of the class are also called clubmosses, firmosses, spikemosses and quillworts. They have dichotomously branching s ...
(often misconstructed as "Lycopsida"). Some modern authors recognize three generic divisions of ''Selaginella'': ''Selaginella'', ''Bryodesma''
Sojak 1992, and ''Lycopodioides''
Boehm 1760. ''Lycopodioides'' would include the North American species ''S. apoda'' and ''S. eclipes'', while ''Bryodesma'' would include ''S. rupestris'' (as ''Bryodesma rupestre''). ''Stachygynandrum'' is also sometimes used to include the bulk of species.
The first major attempt to define and subdivide the group was by
Palisot de Beauvois
Ambroise Marie François Joseph Palisot, Baron de Beauvois (27 July 1752, in Arras – 21 January 1820, in Paris) was a French naturalist and zoologist.
Palisot collected insects in Oware, Benin, Saint Domingue, and the United States, from 1 ...
in 1803-1805. He established the genus ''Selaginella'' as a monotypic genus, and placed the bulk of species in ''Stachygynandrum''. ''Gymnogynum'' was another monotypic genus, but that name is superseded by his own earlier name of ''Didiclis''. This turns out, today, to be a group of around 45-50 species also known as the ''Articulatae'', since his genus ''Didiclis/Gymnogynum'' was based on ''
Selaginella plumosa
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...
''. He also described the genus ''Diplostachyum'' to include a group of species similar to ''Selaginella apoda''.
Spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
inflated the genus ''Selaginella'' to hold all selaginelloid species four decades later.
Phylogenetic studies by Korall & Kenrick determined that the ''Euselaginella'' group, comprising solely the type species, ''
Selaginella selaginoides
''Selaginella selaginoides'' is a non-flowering plant of the spikemoss genus ''Selaginella'' with a wide distribution around the Northern Hemisphere. It resembles a moss in appearance but is a vascular plant belonging to the division (botany), di ...
'' and a closely related Hawaiian species, ''
Selaginella deflexa
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...
'', is a basal and anciently diverging sister to all other ''Selaginella'' species. Beyond this, their study split the remainder of species into two broad groups, one including the ''
Bryodesma
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...
'' species, the ''
Articulatae'', section ''
Ericetorum''
Jermy and others, and the other centered on the broad ''Stachygynandrum'' group.
Walton & Aston classification
In the ''Manual of Pteridology'', the following classification was used by Walton & Alston:
genus: ''Selaginella''
*subgenus: ''Euselaginella''
**group: ''selaginoides''
**group: ''pygmaea''
**group: ''uliginosa'' (''Ericetorum'')
**group: ''rupestris'' (''Tetragonostachys'' or ''Bryodesma'')
*subgenus: ''Stachygynandrum''
**series: ''Decumbentes''
**series: ''Ascendentes''
**series: ''Sarmentosae''
**series: ''Caulescentes''
**series: ''Circinatae''
**series: ''Articulatae''
*subgenus: ''Homostachys''
*subgenus: ''Heterostachys''
However, this is now known to be highly paraphyletic in most of its groupings. Two recent classifications, employing modern methods of phylogenetic analysis, are as follows:
Weststrand & Korall, 2016 classification
genus: ''Selaginella''
* subgenus: ''Selaginella''
* clade: "Rhizophoric clade"
** clade A
*** subgenus ''Rupestrae''
'Bryodesma'' Sojak or ''Tetragonostachys'' Jermy, ''S.'' section ''Homeophyllae''*** subgenus ''Lepidophyllae''
'S.'' section ''Lepidophyllae''*** subgenus ''Gymnogynum''
'S.'' section ''Articulatae''*** subgenus ''Exaltatae''
ncl. ''S.'' section ''Megalosporum'', ''S.'' section ''Myosurus''*** subgenus ''Ericetorum''
'S.'' section ''Lyallia''** clade B
*** subgenus ''Stachygynandrum''
ncl. ''S.'' (''Boreoselaginella''), ''S.'' (''Pulviniella''), ''S.'' (''Heterostachys'')
Zhang & Zhou, 2015 classification
genus: ''Selaginella''
* subgenus: ''Selaginella'' Type: ''S. selaginoides''
(L.) P.Beauv. ex Mart. & Schrank
* subgenus: ''Boreoselaginella'' Type: ''S. sanguinolenta''
(L.) Spring
* subgenus: ''Ericetorum'' Type: ''S. uliginosa''
(Labill.) Spring
** section: ''Lyallia'' Type: ''S. uliginosa''
(Labill.) Spring
** section: ''Myosurus'' Type: ''S. myosurus''
Alston
** section: ''Megalosporarum'' Type: ''S. exaltata''
(Kunze) Spring
** section: ''Articulatae'' Type: ''S. kraussiana''
(Kunze) A.Braun
** section: ''Homoeophyllae'' Type: ''S. rupestris''
(L.) Spring (=''Bryodesma''
Sojak or ''Tetragonostachys''
Jermy)
** section: ''Lepidophyllae'' Type: ''S. lepidophylla''
(Hook. & Grev.) Spring
* subgenus: ''Pulviniella'' Type: ''S. pulvinata''
(Hook. & Grev.) Maxim
* subgenus: ''Heterostachys'' Type: ''S. heterostachys''
Baker
** section: ''Oligomacrosporangiatae'' Type: ''Selaginella uncinata''
(Desv. ex Poir.) Spring
** section: ''Auriculatae'' Type: ''S. douglasii''
(Hook. & Grev.) Spring
** section: ''Homostachys'' Type: : ''S. helvetica''
(L.) Link
** section: ''Tetragonostachyae'' Type: ''S. proniflora''
(L.) Baker
** section: ''Heterostachys'' Type: ''S. brachystachya''
(Hook. & Grev.) Spring
* subgenus: ''Stachygynandrum'' Type: ''S. flabellata''
(L.) Spring
** section: ''Plagiophyllae'' Type: ''S. biformis''
A.Braun ex Kuhn
** section: ''Circinatae'' Type: ''S. involvens''
(Sw.) Spring
** section: ''Heterophyllae'' Type: ''S. flexuosa''
Spring
** section: ''Austroamericanae'' Type: ''S. hartwegiana''
Spring
** section: ''Pallescentes'' Type: ''S. pallescens'' (C.Presl)
Spring
** section: ''Proceres'' Type: ''S. oaxacana''
Spring
** section: ''Ascendentes'' Type: ''S. alopecuroides''
Baker
Species
![Iridescent_fern](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Iridescent_fern.jpg)
There are about 750 known species of ''Selaginella''.
They show a wide range of characters; the genus is overdue for a revision which might include subdivision into several genera. Better-known spikemosses include:
*''
Selaginella apoda
''Selaginella apoda'', commonly known as meadow spikemoss, is a perennial lycophyte native to much of the eastern United States and parts of northeastern Mexico. The life cycle is the shortest of the genus ''Selaginella'', as well as one of the s ...
'' – meadow spikemoss; eastern
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
*''
Selaginella arizonica''
Maxon – west Texas to Arizona and Sonora, Mexico
*''
Selaginella asprella
''Selaginella asprella'' is a species of spikemoss known by the common name bluish spikemoss. It is native to California and Baja California, where it has a disjunct distribution, occurring in the Klamath Mountains and mountain ranges several hun ...
''
*''
Selaginella bifida'' –
Rodrigues Island
Rodrigues (french: Île Rodrigues, link=yes ; Creole: ) is a autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, about east of Mauritius. It is part of the Mascarene Islands, which include Mauritius and Réunion. Rodr ...
*''
Selaginella biformis
''Selaginella biformis'' is a species of plant in the family Selaginellaceae. It is native to Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, China, Eastern Himalaya, India, Java, Laos, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Myanmar, New Guinea, the Nicobar Islands, the Philip ...
''
*''
Selaginella bigelovii
''Selaginella bigelovii'' is a species of spikemoss known by the common names bushy spikemoss and Bigelow's spikemoss. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in rocky places in many different habitat types, from the coastl ...
''
*''
Selaginella braunii
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having h ...
'' – Braun's spikemoss;
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
*''
Selaginella bryopteris
''Selaginella bryopteris'' (Devanagari:संजीवनी) is a lithophytic plant that is native to India. It is used medicinally in India and is one of the plants that is considered as a candidate to be the '' sanjeevani'' (also called "san ...
'' – sanjeevani;
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
*''
Selaginella canaliculata
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...
'' – clubmoss;
southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
,
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located eas ...
*''
Selaginella carinata''
*''
Selaginella cinerascens
''Selaginella cinerascens'' is a species of spikemoss known by the common names mesa spikemoss, gray spikemoss, and ashy spikemoss. It is native to Baja California as well as some locations just north of the border in San Diego County, Californi ...
''
*''
Selaginella densa
''Selaginella densa'' is a species of spikemoss known by the common names lesser spikemoss, prairie spikemoss, and Rocky Mountains spikemoss. It is native to western North America, where it can be found from Alaska to Ontario, the Dakotas, Texas ...
'' – lesser spikemoss; western North America
*''
Selaginella denticulata''
*''
Selaginella eclipes
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...
'' – hidden spikemoss; eastern North America
*''
Selaginella elmeri
''Selaginella elmeri'' is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae
...
''
*''
Selaginella eremophila
''Selaginella eremophila'' is a species of spikemoss known by the common name desert spikemoss. It is native to the deserts and adjacent mountains around the intersection of California and Arizona with Baja California. It grows in sandy and rocky ...
''
Maxon
*''
Selaginella erythropus
''Selaginella erythropus'' is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae family, endemic to the Yucatan and Belize to Colombia and was introduced to Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muun ...
''
*''
Selaginella galotteii''
*''
Selaginella gigantea
''Selaginella gigantea'' (family Selaginellaceae) is a spikemoss endemic to the montane rainforests of Venezuela, at an altitude of around . It is noteworthy in being the only ''Selaginella'' species which is a true shrub, being up to in height ...
'' - From Venezuela.
*''
Selaginella hansenii''
*''
Selaginella kraussiana
''Selaginella kraussiana'' is a species of vascular plant in the family Selaginellaceae. It is referred to by the common names Krauss' spikemoss, Krauss's clubmoss, or African clubmoss, and is found naturally in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and in ...
'' – Krauss's spikemoss;
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
,
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
*''
Selaginella lepidophylla
''Selaginella lepidophylla'' (syn. ''Lycopodium lepidophyllum'') is a species of desert plant in the spikemoss family (Selaginellaceae). Known as a "resurrection plant", ''S. lepidophylla'' is renowned for its ability to survive almost complete ...
'' – resurrection plant, dinosaur plant, and flower of stone;
Chihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert ( es, Desierto de Chihuahua, ) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower P ...
,
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
*''
Selaginella martensii
''Selaginella martensii'', the variegated spikemoss or Martens's spike moss, is a lycophyte in the Selaginellaceae family. It is native to Mexico and Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Amer ...
'' – variegated spikemoss
*''
Selaginella moellendorffii
''Selaginella moellendorffii'' is a lycophyte that is an important model organism, especially in comparative genomics. ''S. moellendorffii'' is a member of an ancient vascular plant lineage that first appeared in the fossil record some 400 mill ...
''
*''
Selaginella oregana
''Selaginella oregana'' is a species of spikemoss known by the common name Oregon spikemoss. It is native to the Pacific Coast of western North America, where it can be found from British Columbia to northern California. It grows in mossy, shady ...
''
*''
Selaginella plana
''Selaginella plana'', commonly known as the Asian spikemoss, is a lycophyte native to tropical Asia.
Distribution
''Selaginella plana'' occurs in tropical regions of Asia, including India, Indochina, and the Malay Archipelago. Native population ...
'' – Asian spikemoss; tropical
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
*''
Selaginella poulteri
''Selaginella poulteri'' is a species of plant in the family Selaginellaceae
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopo ...
''
*''
Selaginella pulcherrima''
*''
Selaginella rupestris
''Selaginella rupestris'', the northern selaginella sometimes locally known as ledge spike-moss or rock spike-moss, is a species of spike-moss occurring in dry rocky places in eastern North America, including one locality in Greenland
Gree ...
'' – rock spikemoss, festoon pine, and northern Selaginella (eastern North America)
*''
Selaginella rupincola
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...
''
Underw. – west Texas to Arizona and Sonora, Mexico
*''
Selaginella selaginoides
''Selaginella selaginoides'' is a non-flowering plant of the spikemoss genus ''Selaginella'' with a wide distribution around the Northern Hemisphere. It resembles a moss in appearance but is a vascular plant belonging to the division (botany), di ...
'' – lesser clubmoss; north temperate
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
,
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
and
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
)
*''
Selaginella sericea
''Selaginella sericea'' is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by ...
''
A.Braun
Alexander Carl Heinrich Braun (10 May 1805 – 29 March 1877) was a German botanist from Regensburg, Bavaria. His research centered on the morphology of plants.
Biography
He studied botany in Heidelberg, Paris and Munich. In 1833 he began teachi ...
–
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
*''
Selaginella serpens''
*''
Selaginella sibirica
''Selaginella sibirica'', the Siberian spikemoss, is a species of spikemoss
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopod ...
''
*''
Selaginella stellata'' – starry spikemoss; Mexico,
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
*''
Selaginella substipitata''
*''
Selaginella tamariscina
''Selaginella tamariscina'' is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae family, endemic to China, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Russia (Siberia), Taiwan, and northern Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and offic ...
''
*''
Selaginella tortipila
''Selaginella tortipila'' is a species of clubmoss in the family Selaginellaceae. It is referred to by the common names twistedhair spikemoss or kinky-hair spike-moss, and is a member of an early diverging group of plants. It is native to the So ...
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Selaginella uliginosa
''Selaginella uliginosa'' is a small perennial plant found in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian contin ...
'' –
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
*''
Selaginella umbrosa
''Selaginella umbrosa'' is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae family.
Umbrosa is native to South America, ranging from Yucatán to Colombia and Venezuela. It can be found in Barbados and Tobago, where it is most likely not native. It has ...
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Selaginella uncinata
''Selaginella uncinata'', the blue spikemoss, peacock moss, peacock spikemoss, or spring blue spikemoss, is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae family.
It is widely cultivated outdoors along the Gulf Coast of the United States and in green ...
'' – peacock moss, peacock spikemoss, blue spikemoss
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Selaginella underwoodii
''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses.
This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...
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Hieron. – west Texas to Wyoming and west into Arizona
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Selaginella wallacei
''Selaginella wallacei'' is a species of spikemoss known by the common name Wallace's spikemoss. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Montana, where it can be found in many types of habitat, including open ...
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Selaginella watsonii
''Selaginella watsonii'' is a species of spikemoss known by the common name Watson's spikemoss. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in many rocky habitat types, including high mountain peaks in alpine climates. This lycophyt ...
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Selaginella willdenowii
''Selaginella willdenowii'' is a species of vascular plant in the Selaginellaceae family. It is a spikemoss known by the common names Willdenow's spikemoss and peacock fern due to its iridescent blue leaves. Like other Selaginallales, it is fern ...
'' – Willdenow's spikemoss, peacock fern; southeast Asia
A few species of ''Selaginella'' are
desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...
plants known as "resurrection plants", because they curl up in a tight, brown or reddish ball during dry times, and uncurl and turn green in the presence of moisture. Other species are tropical
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
plants that appear at first glance to be
fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...
s.
Cultivation
A number of ''Selaginella'' species are popular plants for cultivation, mostly tropical species. Some of the species popularly cultivated and actively available commercially include:
*''S. kraussiana'': golden clubmoss
*''S. martensii'': frosty fern
*''S. moellendorffii'': gemmiferous spikemoss
*''S. erythropus'': red selaginella or ruby-red spikemoss
*''S. uncinata'': peacock moss
*''S. lepidophylla'': resurrection plant
*''S. braunii'': arborvitae fern
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q379743
Lycophyte genera