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Selaginella watsonii

Underwood

Watson's Spikemoss

G4Apparently Secure Found in 78 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.133863
Element CodePPSEL011D0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumLycophyta
ClassIsoetopsida
OrderSelaginellales
FamilySelaginellaceae
GenusSelaginella
Synonyms
Bryodesma watsonii(Underw.) Sojak
Other Common Names
Alpine Spike-moss (EN) Watson's spikemoss (EN)
Concept Reference
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.
Taxonomic Comments
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
Review Date1989-04-20
Change Date1989-04-20
Range Extent Comments
California and Oregon, east to Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.
Ecology & Habitat
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS2Yes
IdahoSNRYes
WyomingS1Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
MontanaS3Yes
UtahSNRYes
NevadaS3Yes
OregonS4Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (78)
California (43)
AreaForestAcres
Boundary Peak (CA)Inyo National Forest210,884
Caples CreekEldorado National Forest17,854
Carson - IcebergStanislaus National Forest56,430
Chineese Camp (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,339
Chips CreekPlumas National Forest12,940
Coyote NorthInyo National Forest11,932
Coyote SoutheastInyo National Forest53,159
DardanellesEldorado National Forest8,110
Devil's Gate (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest9,946
Dinkey LakesSierra National Forest34,171
Domeland Add.Sequoia National Forest3,046
Granite ChiefTahoe National Forest6,546
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Grouse LakesTahoe National Forest19,085
Hall Natural AreaInyo National Forest5,236
Heartbreak RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest4,455
Hoover - Mt.olsenHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest624
Hoover - NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,574
Hoover - Virginia LksHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,050
Horse Mdw.Inyo National Forest5,687
HortonInyo National Forest5,717
Log Cabin SaddlebagInyo National Forest15,165
Long MeadowHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest11,967
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Mt. OlsenInyo National Forest2,161
NessieInyo National Forest830
NightStanislaus National Forest3,173
North LakeInyo National Forest2,406
PyramidEldorado National Forest24,347
Raymond PeakStanislaus National Forest3,646
Raywood Flat BSan Bernardino National Forest11,373
Rock Creek WestInyo National Forest3,626
RubiconEldorado National Forest4,872
SherwinInyo National Forest3,140
SugarloafSan Bernardino National Forest8,206
Sweetwater (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest19,241
Table Mtn.Inyo National Forest4,215
TinemahaInyo National Forest27,060
Tioga LakeInyo National Forest829
Tragedy - Elephants BackEldorado National Forest20,866
Wheeler RidgeInyo National Forest15,744
Wild Horse Mtn. (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,822
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
Montana (3)
AreaForestAcres
Line Creek PlateauCuster National Forest24,825
Proposed Line Creek PrnaCuster National Forest389
Red Lodge Creek HellroaringCuster National Forest17,210
Nevada (15)
AreaForestAcres
Angel Peak NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest12,577
Arc Dome - OphirHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,652
Bald Mtn.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest41,598
Boundary Peak (NV)Inyo National Forest21,851
ButlerHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest39,470
Georges CanyonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest108,551
Humboldt - Angel LkHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,008
Rock CanyonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest31,552
Ruby - Lamoille CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest32,771
Ruby - MarshHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest10,164
Ruby - ThompsonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,289
Snake - Peacock CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,069
South SchellHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest125,614
Table Mtn. - EastHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest87,789
Toiyabe RangeHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest99,225
Utah (15)
AreaForestAcres
0419020Ashley National Forest355,684
418040Uinta National Forest1,702
Box - Death HollowDixie National Forest3,175
Bullion - DelanoFishlake National Forest14,917
City CreekFishlake National Forest13,939
High Uintas (UT)Wasatch-Cache National Forest102,398
LakesWasatch-Cache National Forest121,967
Lone Peak ContiguousWasatch-Cache National Forest874
Mcgath Lake - Auger HoleDixie National Forest8,334
Mt. OlympusWasatch-Cache National Forest9,982
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
South FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest3,374
Tushar MountainFishlake National Forest39,992
Twin PeaksWasatch-Cache National Forest6,157
White PineWasatch-Cache National Forest1,942
Wyoming (2)
AreaForestAcres
Beartooth Proposed WildernessShoshone National Forest16,837
South Beartooth HighwayShoshone National Forest105,570
References (9)
  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. Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group I. 2016. A Community-Derived Classification for Extant Lycophytes and Ferns. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 54(6): 563–603.
  4. 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.
  5. 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).
  6. Weststrand, S., and P. Korall. 2016. A subgeneric classification of <i>Selaginella</i> (Selaginellaceae). American Journal of Botany 103(12): 2160-2169.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Zhou, X.M. and L.B. Zhang. 2023. Phylogeny, character evolution, and classification of Selaginellaceae (lycophytes). Plant Diversity 45(6): 630-684.