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Selaginella scopulorum

Maxon

Rocky Mountain Spikemoss

G5Secure (G5?) Found in 56 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.143103
Element CodePPSEL010C2
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumLycophyta
ClassIsoetopsida
OrderSelaginellales
FamilySelaginellaceae
GenusSelaginella
Synonyms
Selaginella densa ssp. scopulorumSelaginella densa var. scopulorum(Maxon) R. Tryon
Other Common Names
Dense Spikemoss (EN) Rocky Mountain spikemoss (EN) Sélaginelle des Rocheuses (FR)
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) elevates Selaginella densa var. scopulorum (= S. scopulorum) to full species.

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 MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2016-03-28
Change Date2016-03-28
Edition Date2016-03-28
Edition AuthorsBittman (2015)
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Ecology & Habitat
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
WyomingSNRYes
OregonSNRYes
MontanaSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
WashingtonSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
ArizonaSNRYes
TexasS1Yes
NevadaS1Yes
ColoradoSNRYes
CaliforniaS2Yes
UtahS2Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlbertaS3Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (56)
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
SnoozerKlamath National Forest23,414
Colorado (2)
AreaForestAcres
Comanche Peak Adjacent AreaArapaho & Roosevelt NFs44,158
Long ParkRoutt NF42,100
Idaho (3)
AreaForestAcres
NeedlesPayette National Forest131,279
Peace RockBoise National Forest191,734
SeceshPayette National Forest248,088
Montana (12)
AreaForestAcres
BeartoothGallatin National Forest5,285
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
Burnt MountainCuster National Forest10,698
Coal Ridge Ra 1127Flathead National Forest15,429
Crazy MountainGallatin National Forest82,093
Line Creek PlateauCuster National Forest24,825
Middle Mtn. / Tobacco RootsBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest96,487
Mt. Hefty Ra 1481Flathead National Forest12,938
North AbsarokaGallatin National Forest159,075
Red Lodge Creek HellroaringCuster National Forest17,210
ReefGallatin National Forest2,500
Stevens PeakLolo National Forest647
New Mexico (1)
AreaForestAcres
Ryan HillCibola National Forest34,201
Oregon (7)
AreaForestAcres
DeadhorseWallowa-Whitman National Forest10,690
Imnaha FaceWallowa-Whitman National Forest29,575
Lake ForkWallowa-Whitman National Forest21,936
Lick CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,956
Little SheepWallowa-Whitman National Forest5,238
Sheep DivideWallowa-Whitman National Forest16,201
Snake RiverWallowa-Whitman National Forest31,229
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
0401001Ashley National Forest11,705
0401024Ashley National Forest12,882
Washington (16)
AreaForestAcres
Bald SnowColville National Forest23,198
Boulder RiverMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest32,563
Glacier Peak JMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest26,482
Glacier Peak KMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest47,269
Glacier Peak LMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest14,084
Granite MountainOkanogan National Forest27,428
Liberty BellOkanogan National Forest108,495
Long SwampOkanogan National Forest66,344
Mt. Baker Noisy - DiobsudMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest56,039
Pasayten RimOkanogan National Forest17,074
ProfanityColville National Forest28,944
QuilceneOlympic National Forest18,656
SawtoothOkanogan National Forest122,194
TeanawayWenatchee National Forest72,849
Thorp Mtn.Wenatchee National Forest22,717
TiffanyOkanogan National Forest22,045
Wyoming (12)
AreaForestAcres
Beartooth Proposed WildernessShoshone National Forest16,837
Cloud Peak ContiguousBighorn National Forest113,757
French CreekMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest5,928
Hazelton PeaksBighorn National Forest10,029
Libby FlatsMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest11,107
Little BighornBighorn National Forest133,949
Middle ForkShoshone National Forest51,772
Snowy RangeMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest29,660
South Beartooth HighwayShoshone National Forest105,570
Walker PrairieBighorn National Forest62,434
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
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.