Spikemoss
Spikemoss refers to any plant of the genus
Selaginella in the family Selaginellaceae. Many workers still place the Selaginellales in the class Lycopsida . This group of plants are included in what, for convenience, is called "fern allies".
The spikemosses are creeping or ascendant plants with simple, scale-like leaves on branching stems from which roots also arise. The plants are
heterosporous , and have structures called ligules, scale-like outgrowths near the base of the upper surface of each microphyll and sporophyll.
There are about 700 species of
Selaginella, showing a wide range of characters; the genus is overdue for a revision which might include subdivision into several genera.
Encyclopedia
Spikemoss refers to any plant of the genus
Selaginella in the family Selaginellaceae. Many workers still place the Selaginellales in the class Lycopsida . This group of plants are included in what, for convenience, is called "fern allies".
The spikemosses are creeping or ascendant plants with simple, scale-like leaves on branching stems from which roots also arise. The plants are
heterosporous , and have structures called ligules, scale-like outgrowths near the base of the upper surface of each microphyll and sporophyll.
There are about 700 species of
Selaginella, showing a wide range of characters; the genus is overdue for a revision which might include subdivision into several genera. Better-known spikemosses include:
- Selaginella canaliculata -- Clubmoss
- Selaginella selaginoides -- Lesser clubmoss
- Selaginella apoda -- Meadow spikemoss
- Selaginella eclipes -- Hidden spikemoss
- Selaginella rupestris -- Rock spikemoss
- Selaginella kraussiana -- Krauss's spikemoss
Many species of
Selaginella are
desert 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 plants that appear at first glance to be
ferns.
