Selaginella spec.

Posted by MadScientist (Düsseldorf, Germany) on 31 July 2008 in Plant & Nature.

Selaginellas (spikemosses) are plants to my taste. They are so-called fern allies, meaning that there's a relationship to pteridophytes, and they belong to a very ancient plant group, the Lycopodiophyta, that ruled the world 300 million years ago. While the tree-size specimen are extinct, small to minute-sized species of this group survived the eons. If that's not a reason to grow some of them!

I don't know exactly what species this is; it's very small (this image details covers just a few inches). Nice enough, it's producing lots of sporangia, that are small capsules bearing spores that it will shed in a few weeks so that I will have even more spikemosses. :-)

Does anybody know a nursery that ships Tassel ferns or clubmosses? And, perhaps, Dipteris conjugata? Or at least some spores of them?

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Comments (7)

Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada

I can see why you'd be interested in this unusual plant, it's like a macro universe sustained by incredible forms and shapes that I've never seen....I can ask my brother if he knows of them, he's one of the landscaper I know...but you know I'm in Canada ;)

31 Jul 2008 10:19am

@Lorraine: I think some of them should grow in Canada too. All you need is a location with rather humid climate that doesn not get too cold in winter.

Observing from West Cheshire, United Kingdom

The leaves look waxy , so I imagine it to be a hardened plant. ??

31 Jul 2008 1:00pm

@Observing: No, these small leaflets are really small (ca. 2mm each). I think the surface looks so glossy because of the leaflets' thinness. I don't actually know if it's hardy, I have another two Sel. species that made it through last winter, but it was a rather mild one. I'll have to test this. If it gets too cold I'll take them inside.

Tracey from White Hall, United States

Another dinosaur butt scratcher? :op Gorgeous shot as always. We have few fern around my house, but not many!

31 Jul 2008 7:42pm

@Tracey: This little fellow is way to small to be noticed by a dino :-)
Just a few ferns in your garden? D'oh!

zahra from tehran, Iran

nice macro but brightness is hich

31 Jul 2008 8:20pm

@zahra: Flashlight!

dj.tigersprout from San Bruno, CA, United States

ooh -- quite wonderful! but it seems like it would reproduce quite quickly! i hope you have a good planter-box ready! :)

31 Jul 2008 9:22pm

@dj.tigersprout: You would be surprised if I would show you the ferns that have propagated without my assistance: many pots and tubs have a little fern as companion plant now. :-)

akarui from Kagoshima, Japan

Could be a pattern picture but I feel a bit lost with all that surface, may be try to cut it in half and keep the upper one where there is a potential anchor for the eyes.

1 Aug 2008 12:58am

@akarui: That was intended! There's indeed no real 'structure' in this plant, it's growing in meadows. You can find here something that fascinates me in plant growth: they don't ask, they have no 'idea' of the world surrounding them; if there's enough nutrition and light, they just grow. And that might not always be pleasing :-) Besides that, it's a really small plantlet.

JoeB from Brampton, Canada

The green is very strong it gave me the impression that it was a much larger plant.

1 Aug 2008 1:08am

@JoeB: The whole plant would easily fit into your hand, it's just a miniature jungle.

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