Selaginella scopulorum

Rocky mountain spike-moss, Rocky Mountain Spike-Moss

Family: Selaginellaceae · Type: Spikemoss · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Rocky mountain spike-moss is a native spikemoss found in the northern Klamath Ranges in open, rocky spots and conifer forest at elevations of 1,400 to 2,200 meters. This distinctive plant forms dense mat-like ground covers, with green stems that age to an orange-tan color. Growing with small, intricate leaves measuring 1.6 to 4 millimeters long, its delicate foliage includes lance-linear under-leaves and lanceolate over-leaves with subtle tooth-like awns. Its compact growth habit features shoot internodes generally less than 7 millimeters long, creating a dense, textured ground cover. The plant produces distinctive cones ranging from 10 to 30 millimeters in length, adding visual interest to its low-growing structure.

Habitat: Open, rocky spots, conifer forest

Elevation: 1400-2200 m

Bioregions: n KR

California counties: Siskiyou, Trinity, Placer

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