Selaginella rupestris — ledge spikemoss
![Shoots: Selaginella rupestris. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-rupestris-sh-ahaines.jpg)
![Spore cones: Selaginella rupestris. ~ By Jill Weber. ~ Copyright © 2024 Jill Weber. ~ jillweber03[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-rupestris-sc-jweber.jpg)
![Plant form: Selaginella rupestris. ~ By Marilee Lovit. ~ Copyright © 2024 Marilee Lovit. ~ lovitm[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-rupestris-ha-mlovit-a.jpg)
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Facts
Ledge spikemoss has the widest range of any spikemoss (Selaginella) in North America. It grows on dry, exposed rock, sometimes packed sand or gravel.
Habitat
Cliffs, balds, or ledges, grassland, meadows and fields, ridges or ledges
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf shape
- the vegetative leaves are short and scale-like
- Spore leaf arrangement
- the sporophylls are located on spore cones at the tips of the shoots or branches
- Form of shoot
- the plant has an upright stem, and the stem has simple branches
- Horizontal stem
- the horizontal stem is on the surface of the ground
- Leaf differences
- the vegetative leaves within a node are all similar in size and shape
- Teeth on leaf edges
- the edges of the vegetative leaves have no teeth
- Constriction zones
-
- NA
- there are no constrictions on the vertical stem with smaller leaves
- Leaf outline
-
- the vegetative leaves are widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip (lanceolate)
- the vegetative leaves are long and very narrow (linear)
-
Clonal plantlets
- Gemma arrangement
- NA
- Gemma shape
- NA
- Gemma width
- 0 mm
-
Leaves
- Leaf differences
- the vegetative leaves within a node are all similar in size and shape
- Leaf length
- 2.5–4.5 mm
- Leaf orientation
-
- the vegetative leaves are pressed against the stem
- the vegetative leaves spread slightly away from the stem, at a steep angle
- Leaf outline
-
- the vegetative leaves are widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip (lanceolate)
- the vegetative leaves are long and very narrow (linear)
- Leaf ranks
- NA
- Leaf shape
- the vegetative leaves are short and scale-like
- Pores on leaves
- there are pores, but only on the underside of the vegetative leaves
- Teeth on leaf edges
- the edges of the vegetative leaves have no teeth
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- grasslands
- meadows or fields
- ridges or ledges
-
Spores or spore cones
- Cone base at stem
- the base of the spore-cone does not have a distinct stalk
- Cone stalk branching
- the stalks bearing the spore cones are unbranched
- Cone thickness
- 0 mm
- Length of cone
- 5–35 mm
- Number of cones
- 0–1
- Quillwort itssue covering spores
- NA
- Same or different spores
- there are two different types of spores present
- Spore leaf arrangement
- the sporophylls are located on spore cones at the tips of the shoots or branches
- Spore leaf lifespan
- the sporophylls wither and fall off at the end of the growing season
- Spore leaf orientation
- the sporophylls are pressed against the spore cone
- Spore leaf shape
- the spore-bearing leaves are small and scale-like
- Sporophyll ranks
- the sporophylls line up to form an X (4 ranks of leaves)
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branch cross-section
- NA
- Branch form
- NA
- Constriction zones
-
- NA
- there are no constrictions on the vertical stem with smaller leaves
- Form of shoot
- the plant has an upright stem, and the stem has simple branches
- Horizontal stem
- the horizontal stem is on the surface of the ground
- Horizontal stem length
- 20–60 mm
- Horizontal stem thickness
- 0.9–1.1 mm
- Stem height
- 0 mm
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- uncommon to fairly widespread (S-rank: S3S4)
- Rhode Island
- concern (code: C)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
3. Selaginella rupestris (L.) Spring N
ledge spikemoss. Bryodesma rupestre (L.) Soják; Lycopodium rupestre L. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT; throughout. Dry, exposed rock of various pH, less frequently on packed sand and gravel.
Native to North America?
Yes
Synonyms
- Bryodesma rupestre (L.) Soják
- Lycopodium rupestre L.