''Selaginella willdenowii'' is a species 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 ...

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

family. It is a

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 names Willdenow's spikemoss and peacock fern due to its

iridescent Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...

blue leaves. Like other Selaginallales, it is

fern ally 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 ...

and not a true

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 ...

. ''Selaginella willdenowii'' is sometimes spelt incorrectly as ''Selaginella willdenovii''.

Description

The blue iridescence is produced by

thin-film interference Thin-film interference is a natural phenomenon in which light waves reflected by the upper and lower boundaries of a thin film interfere with one another, either enhancing or reducing the reflected light. When the thickness of the film is an ...

produced by a thin layer of cells with lamellar structure in the upper cuticle of leaves. It is suggested that this adaptation reduces the effect of strong sun beams filtering through the canopy that would otherwise damage shade-adapted species. Blue iridescence is found also ''

Selaginella uncinata ''Selaginella uncinata'', the blue spikemoss, peacock moss, peacock spikemoss, or spring blue spikemoss, is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae ''Selaginella'' is the sole genus of vascular plants in the family Selaginellaceae, the sp ...

'' and both species are adapted for extreme shade below the forest canopy.

References

External links

Glow-in-the-light ferns
by Daniela Rambaldini; 19 May 2011 {{Taxonbar, from=Q15239198 willdenowii Flora of Asia Taxa named by John Gilbert Baker