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Spikemoss

Spikemoss
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Lycophyta
Class: Selaginellopsida
Order: Selaginellales
Family: Selaginellaceae
Genus: Selaginella
Species
  Selaginella apoda
  Selaginella eclipes
  Selaginella rupestris

Spikemoss refers to any plant of the genus Selaginella, in the family Selaginellaceae, in the order Selaginellales, in the class Selaginellopsida, in the division Lycophyta. Many workers still place the Selaginellales in the class Lycopsida. This group of plants are considered to be part of the fern allies.

The spikemosses are creeping or ascendant plants with simple, scale-like leaves on branching stems from which roots also arise. The plants are heterosporous.

Significant spikemosses of eastern North America include:

Many species of Selaginella are desert plants known as "resurrection plants", because they curl up in a tight, brown or reddish ball during dry times, and uncurl and turn green in the presence of moisture. Other species are tropical forest plants that appear at first glance to be ferns.