Selaginella selaginoides — northern spikemoss
![Spore cones: Selaginella selaginoides. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-selaginoides-sc-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Shoots: Selaginella selaginoides. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-selaginoides-sh-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Spore cones: Selaginella selaginoides. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-selaginoides-sc-efarnsworth.jpg)
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Facts
Northern spikemoss, a widespread, circumpolar species, sneaks into New England in the northern counties of Maine. It inhabits fens, bogs and wet areas. This species is unique among clubmosses in having active megaspore dispersal, described as 'compression and slingshot ejection.'
Habitat
Fens, floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests
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.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
- Maine
- 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, but no 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 tiny teeth
- Leaf outline
-
- the vegetative leaves are widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip (lanceolate)
- the vegetative leaves are roughly triangular, widest at the base where the leaf joins the stem
-
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 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 roughly triangular, widest at the base where the leaf joins the stem
- 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 tiny teeth
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
- Maine
- Specific habitat
-
- fens
- forests
- river or stream floodplains
-
Spores or spore cones
- Cone base at stem
- the base of the spore-cone does not have a distinct stalk
- Cone stalk branching
- NA
- Cone thickness
- 0 mm
- Number of cones
- 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 slant out from the axis at an angle of 45–90 degrees
- Spore leaf shape
- the spore-bearing leaves are small and scale-like
- Spore leaf teeth
- the edges of the spore-bearing leaves have tiny teeth
- Sporophyll ranks
- the sporophylls come off the cone at many different angles (5 or more ranks)
- Sterile tip of cone
- the spore cone does not have a slender, sterile tip (the whole cone produces spores)
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branch cross-section
- NA
- Branch form
- NA
- Constriction zones
-
- NA
- NA
- Form of shoot
- the plant has an upright stem, but no branches
- Horizontal stem
- the horizontal stem is on the surface of the ground
- Horizontal stem length
- 20–50 mm
- Horizontal stem thickness
- 0.4–0.5 mm
- Stem height
- 30–100 mm
Wetland status
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), threatened (code: T)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
4. Selaginella selaginoides (L.) Beauv. ex Schrank & Mart. NC
northern spikemoss. Lycopodium selaginoides L.; Selaginella spinosa Beauv. • ME; northern counties only. Open and forested circumneutral fens, usually palustrine but sometimes riparian.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Lycopodiella inundata:
- trophophylls entire, without a ligule, and spores monomorphic (vs. S. selaginoides, with trophophylls spinulose-toothed, with a small, adaxial ligule at the base, and spores dimorphic).
Synonyms
- Lycopodium selaginoides L.
- Selaginella spinosa Beauv.