All Species Plantae

Selaginella watsonii Underw. is a plant in the Selaginellaceae family, order Selaginellales, kingdom Plantae. Not known to be toxic.

Photo of Selaginella watsonii Underw. (Selaginella watsonii Underw.)
Plantae

Selaginella watsonii Underw.

Selaginella watsonii Underw.

Selaginella watsonii, or Watson's spikemoss, is a lycophyte spikemoss native to rocky habitats in the western United States.

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Genus
Selaginella
Order
Selaginellales
Class
Lycopodiopsida

About Selaginella watsonii Underw.

Nomenclature and Common Name

Selaginella watsonii Underw., commonly called Watson's spikemoss, is a species of spikemoss.

Distribution and Habitat

It is native to the western United States, and grows in many rocky habitat types, including on high mountain peaks in alpine climates.

Growth Form

This lycophyte grows into mats or cushions made up of short, forking stems.

Leaf Characteristics

The stems are covered with linear or lance-shaped leaves that are no longer than 4 millimeters, and the leaves often have tiny bristles at their tips.

Reproductive Structure Size

The strobili that hold the plant's reproductive structures measure between 1 and 3 centimeters in length.

Photo: (c) springlake1, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by springlake1 · cc-by-nc

Taxonomy

Plantae Tracheophyta Lycopodiopsida Selaginellales Selaginellaceae Selaginella

More from Selaginellaceae

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, NCBI Taxonomy · Disclaimer

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