''Selaginella watsonii'' 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 ...
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 climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions of ...
s. This
lycophyte
The lycophytes, when broadly circumscribed, are a vascular plant (tracheophyte) subgroup of the kingdom Plantae. They are sometimes placed in a division Lycopodiophyta or Lycophyta or in a subdivision Lycopodiophytina. They are one of the oldest ...
forms mats or cushions of short, forking stems. They are lined with linear or lance-shaped leaves no more than 4 millimeters long, often tipped with tiny bristles. 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 ...
containing the reproductive structures are 1 to 3 centimeters long.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfileFlora of North AmericaPhoto gallery
watsonii
Flora of Northern America
{{Lycophyte-stub