Selaginella wallacei
Encyclopedia
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 and shaded areas, and wet to dry environments. This lycophyte
is variable in appearance, its form depending on the habitat it grows in. It can be spreading with many narrow branches, or a small, dense mat. The forking stems grow up to about 25 centimeters long, but may remain much shorter in dry conditions. They are lined with linear, lance-shaped, or oblong leaves up to 4 millimeters long including the bristles at the tips. The strobili
containing the reproductive structures may be quite long, reaching up to 9 centimeters.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, where it can be found in many types of habitat, including open and shaded areas, and wet to dry environments. This lycophyte
Lycopodiophyta
The Division Lycopodiophyta is a tracheophyte subdivision of the Kingdom Plantae. It is the oldest extant vascular plant division at around 410 million years old, and includes some of the most "primitive" extant species...
is variable in appearance, its form depending on the habitat it grows in. It can be spreading with many narrow branches, or a small, dense mat. The forking stems grow up to about 25 centimeters long, but may remain much shorter in dry conditions. They are lined with linear, lance-shaped, or oblong leaves up to 4 millimeters long including the bristles at the tips. The strobili
Strobilus
A strobilus 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 many botanists restrict the use of the term cone to the woody seed strobili of conifers...
containing the reproductive structures may be quite long, reaching up to 9 centimeters.