Selaginella cinerascens

Ashy spike-moss

Family: Selaginellaceae · Type: Spikemoss · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.1

Ashy spike-moss is a California native spikemoss found in southern California coastal and Peninsular Ranges in sunny spots or under shrubs, often on red clay, at elevations below 550 meters. Lacking traditional flowering data, this unique plant is characterized by pale green to tan runners that spread in loose, intricate tangles. Growing as a low-spreading ground cover, it forms delicate prostrate stems that extend across the landscape with intricate branching patterns. Its small leaves are lance-shaped, measuring 1.1 to 2 millimeters long, with acute tips and tiny marginal teeth that give the plant a fine, detailed texture. The plant occasionally produces small cone-like structures 2 to 5 millimeters long, nestled among its delicate foliage.

Habitat: Sunny spots or under shrubs, often "red clay"

Elevation: < 550 m

Bioregions: SCo, PR

California counties: Orange, San Diego, Riverside

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.