Selaginella oregana

Oregon spike moss

Family: Selaginellaceae · Type: Spikemoss · Native

Oregon spike moss is a native spikemoss found in the North Coast, Klamath Ranges, and North Coast Ranges in humid conifer forests, on streambanks, and on rocks under trees at elevations below 800 meters. A distinctive plant that forms curly festoons and changes color from green to yellowish and eventually gray when dry, this spikemoss has delicate leaves that are 1.4 to 2.4 millimeters long with slightly toothed margins. Growing in flexible, intricate clusters, it develops thin stems with internodes longer than one centimeter and produces small cone-like structures often appearing in paired arrangements. Its leaves are lanceolate with narrow bases and feature a short, rigid awn of 0.1 to 0.4 millimeters. The plant thrives in shaded to open sites, creating intricate green networks across forest floors and rocky surfaces.

Habitat: On, under trees on rocks, shaded to open sites, streambanks, humid conifer forest

Elevation: < 800 m

Bioregions: NCo, KR, NCoRO

California counties: Del Norte, Humboldt

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