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Selaginella rupestris

(L.) Spring

Ledge Spikemoss

G5Secure Found in 12 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.138834
Element CodePPSEL010Z0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumLycophyta
ClassIsoetopsida
OrderSelaginellales
FamilySelaginellaceae
GenusSelaginella
Synonyms
Bryodesma rupestre(L.) Soják
Other Common Names
northern selaginella (EN) Rock Spikemoss (EN) Sélaginelle des rochers (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Taxonomic Comments
This record is for the narrow treatment of Selaginella rupestris, excluding S. sibirica, as recognized in Valdespino's treatment in FNA (1993, vol. 2) and in Kartesz (1999). Kartesz (1994) included S. sibirica as a synonym of S. rupestris.

FNA (1993, vol. 2) and the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group I (2016) recognize the family Selaginellaceae with a single genus, Selaginella. Attempts to recognize subgenera (e.g., six in Zhou and Zhang 2015, seven in Weststrand and Korall 2016) lack consistency, and the elevation of subgenera to nineteen genera in Zhou and Zhang (2023) has mixed acceptance. While Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team (2025) treat their fifteen taxa in four genera, Valdespino et al. (2024) provide justification to conserve Selaginellaceae in a single genus with approximately 750 taxa, which the World Flora Online (2025) accepts, following the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-05-16
Change Date1984-04-16
Range Extent Comments
Nova Scotia to Alberta, south to Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Georgia, with disjunct populations in the Black Hills of Wyoming (Crook and Weston counties) and South Dakota.
Ecology & Habitat
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OklahomaSNRYes
OhioS1Yes
AlabamaS2Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
KansasS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
DelawareSXYes
West VirginiaS3Yes
WyomingS1Yes
MississippiSNRYes
MassachusettsS3Yes
IllinoisS3Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New JerseyS2Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
South CarolinaS2Yes
ArkansasS5Yes
New YorkS4Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
North DakotaS1Yes
KentuckySNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
IowaS2Yes
VermontS3Yes
MarylandSNRYes
IndianaS1Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS2Yes
Nova ScotiaS1Yes
ManitobaS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
AlbertaS3Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
New BrunswickS1Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (12)
Georgia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Miller CreekChattahoochee National Forest701
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
Wisconsin (1)
AreaForestAcres
09164 - Tea LakeChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest5,510
References (10)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1993a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 2. Pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xvi + 475 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  4. Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group I. 2016. A Community-Derived Classification for Extant Lycophytes and Ferns. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 54(6): 563–603.
  5. Valdespino, I.A., Korall, P., Weststrand, S., López, C.A., Tang, J.Y., Shalimov, A., and X.C. Zhang. 2024. Rebuttal to “(2943) Proposal to conserve <i>Selaginella</i>, nom. cons.,(Selaginellaceae) with a conserved type”: An unwarranted and disruptive idea. Taxon 73(2): 573-585.
  6. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).
  7. Weststrand, S., and P. Korall. 2016. A subgeneric classification of <i>Selaginella</i> (Selaginellaceae). American Journal of Botany 103(12): 2160-2169.
  8. World Flora Online (WFO). 2025. Selaginellaceae Willk. Online. Available: <a href="http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-7000000562">http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-7000000562</a>. Accessed on 24 April 2025.
  9. Zhou, X.M., and L.B. Zhang. 2015. A classification of <i>Selaginella</i> (Selaginellaceae) based on molecular (chloroplast and nuclear), macromorphological, and spore features. Taxon 64(6): 1117-1140.
  10. Zhou, X.M. and L.B. Zhang. 2023. Phylogeny, character evolution, and classification of Selaginellaceae (lycophytes). Plant Diversity 45(6): 630-684.