''Selaginella stellata'', also recognized by its common name, starry spikemoss or starry spike-moss, 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 Lycopodiaceae (the clubmosses) by having scale-leaves bearing a ligule and by having ...

of 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 Lycopodiaceae The Lycopodiaceae (class Lycopodiopsida, order Lycopodiales) are an o ...

. It is a type of

lycopod 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 ...

that grows naturally in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and Central American countries like

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

and

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

and can also be found in the state of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

Distribution

Spikemoss ''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 ...

can be found in a number of places in a variety of climates. In

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 ...

alone, individuals of the genus ''

Selaginella ''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 ...

'' have been discovered in tropical habitats like those in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

and the

Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...

as well as the more arctic habitats in areas of

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

. ''Selaginella stellata'' in particular is native to

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. ...

and

. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

it was introduced to equatorial state of

. There the individuals of this species can be found along the trails ‘Akaka Falls State Park as well as the valleys of the

Hamakua Hāmākua is a district on the northeast coast of Hawaii (island), Hawaii's Big Island, administered by the Hawaii County, Hawaii, County of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii, Hawaii. It is also the name given for the coastline in the region, the "Hā ...

coast.

Habitat and ecology

Members of the genus ''

'' are terrestrial plants that grow in a different types of habitats, though, most grow in damp shady areas of tropical forests. They are herbaceous and can be

perennials A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

or annuals. Starry spikemoss plants are mossy, fern-like

that can be found growing over cliffs and on the side of trails. According to the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

PLANTS Database, they are considered "nonhydrophytes" and therefore can be found in

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

but this is not considered common.

Morphology

Individuals of this species are recognized by swollen joints dispersed along the main stem of the plant along with long rhizophores located on the lower third of the stem. Typically the stems of this

are straw colored and ascending or erecting from bases that lie on the ground. The branches of the plant form an open, egg-shaped pattern. Leaves of this species generally ovate but have also been narrowly oblong and lanceolate in shape and range from approximately 1-3mm in length. The

strobili A strobilus (plural: strobili) is a structure present on many land plant species consisting of sporangia-bearing structures densely aggregated along a stem. Strobili are often called cones, but some botanists restrict the use of the term cone to th ...

of these types of individuals grow to about 1–2.5 cm in length. Starry Spikemoss plants are commonly confused with a closely related species, ''Selaginella galeottii''. Their appearances are similar however the shape of the

lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Healthcare *Lateral (anatomy), an anatomical direction *Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle *Lateral release (surgery), a surgical procedure on the side of a kneecap Phonetics *Lateral cons ...

and axillary leaves are different. Axillary and lateral leaves of ''Selaginella stellata'' tend to be eciliate and the axillary leaves are biauriculate and conspicuous. Axillary leaves of ''Selaginella galeottii'' are rarely auriculate and if they are present they are inconspicuous. Axillary and lateral leaves of ''Selaginella galeottii'' also differ in that they have cilia at their base or near their point of attachment.

Usage

According to the Amazonian Ethnobotanical Dictionary, ''Selaginella stellata'' is part of a decoction called "Palillo" or "Sapo magui" that is used by Brazilians while bathing as a flu treatment.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16992497 stellata Flora of Mexico Flora of Central America