Selaginella selaginoides

Spiky moss fern ( Selaginella selaginoides )

The Spiny moss fern ( Selaginella selaginoides ) is one of only two native German-speaking species of moss ferns ( Selaginella ), the only genus of plants, of the Bärlapppflanzen ( Lycopodiophyta ) belonging to the family of Moosfarngewächse ( Selaginellaceae ) and the order of the Moosfarnartigen ( Selaginellales ).

Features

The Spiny moss fern is a perennial plant. The shoots are lying to upright. The plant reaches a height 2-8 ( to 15) centimeters. The leafy shoots are in contrast to the Swiss moss fern round in cross section and upright. The change-constant and sides projecting serrated leaves are all the same diverse and frayed. The leaves are triangular to narrowly ovate-lanceolate, with a sharp point. The rim has on each side from one to five teeth.

The Sporophyllstand is 1 to 3 ( to 5) inches high and the leaves sprout little or no offset. At the bottom of the macrosporangia sit in the upper the microsporangia. Sporenreife is from July to September.

Occurrences and locations

The species is widespread circumpolar arctic - alpine. In Germany it is only found in Bavaria, Baden -Württemberg and Saxony- Anhalt ( chunks ). In Austria it is absent only in Vienna and Burgenland.

The Spiny moss fern comes in the subalpine to alpine altitude before stage. It grows scattered in alpine poor grass, blue grass Halden, Rieselfluren source and bogs, on moist to wet base-rich, often calcareous, humus-rich, loamy soil. He is an outspoken light plant.