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Selaginella selaginoides

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Low Spikemoss

G5Secure Found in 11 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.136147
Element CodePPSEL01110
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
KingdomPlantae
PhylumLycophyta
ClassIsoetopsida
OrderSelaginellales
FamilySelaginellaceae
GenusSelaginella
Synonyms
Selaginoides spinulosa(A. Braun ex Doll) Li Bing Zhang & X.M. Zhou
Other Common Names
club spikemoss (EN) Club Spikemoss (EN) Sélaginelle fausse-sélagine (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) 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 Date1984-09-06
Range Extent Comments
Circumboreal, south in N. America to B.C., NV, WY, MI, and N.S. Sparse.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Low Spike-moss is a low, moss-like, glabrous plant with branched, prostrate to ascending stems. The thin, narrowly lance-shaped leaves are 1-3 mm long, are spirally arranged on the stem, and have sparsely spine-toothed margins. The upper leaves of fertile stems are larger, more broadly lance-shaped, and bear in their axils 1 to a few spores that are ca. 0.5 mm across.

Diagnostic Characteristics

Other species of SELAGINELLA occur in dry habitats and have thicker, bristle-tipped leaves. Species of LYCOPODIUM have thicker leaves without spine-like teeth on the margins. A hand lens will be necessary for positive identification.
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
OntarioS4Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
ManitobaS3Yes
Nova ScotiaS1Yes
QuebecS5Yes
SaskatchewanS2Yes
Yukon TerritoryS4Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4Yes
LabradorS4Yes
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
MichiganSNRYes
MaineS1Yes
MinnesotaS1Yes
WyomingS1Yes
IdahoSNRYes
WisconsinS1Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
MontanaS2Yes
AlaskaSNRYes
NevadaS1Yes
New YorkSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (11)
Alaska (9)
AreaForestAcres
ClevelandTongass National Forest189,447
Hoonah SoundTongass National Forest79,764
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
Port AlexanderTongass National Forest120,681
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
South RevillaTongass National Forest52,105
Taku-SnettishamTongass National Forest664,928
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Ruby - Lamoille CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest32,771
Ruby - ThompsonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,289
References (13)
  1. Achuff, P. L. and L. S. Roe. 1992. Botanical survey of the Goat Flat proposed Research Natural Area, Deerlodge National Forest. Unpublished report to the Deerlodge National Forest. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 31 pp.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Lackschewitz, K. H. 1976. Montana mountain flora: new records. Madrono 23:360-362.
  5. Miller, N. G. 1990. The management of rare plants: suggestions derived from palecological studies of late-Pleistocene floras. Pp. 159-162 in: Mitchell, S., C. J. Sheviak and D. J. Leopold (eds). Ecosystem management: rare species and significant habitats. Proceedings of the 15th annual Natural Areas Conference. New York State Museum Bulletin 471.
  6. Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group I. 2016. A Community-Derived Classification for Extant Lycophytes and Ferns. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 54(6): 563–603.
  7. 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.
  8. Vanderhorst, J. and B. L. Heidel. 1995. Sensitive plant survey in the Tobacco Root Mountains, Madison County, Montana. Unpublished report to the Beaverhead and Deerlodge National Forests. Montana Natural Heritage Program. Helena, MT. 66 pp. plus appendices.
  9. 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).
  10. Weststrand, S., and P. Korall. 2016. A subgeneric classification of <i>Selaginella</i> (Selaginellaceae). American Journal of Botany 103(12): 2160-2169.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. Zhou, X.M. and L.B. Zhang. 2023. Phylogeny, character evolution, and classification of Selaginellaceae (lycophytes). Plant Diversity 45(6): 630-684.