Selaginella wallacei

Wallace moss fern

Family: Selaginellaceae · Type: Spikemoss · Native

Wallace moss fern is a California native spikemoss found in northwestern California, the northern Sierra Nevada foothills, northern Sierra Nevada, and northern San Francisco Bay region in rocky outcrops and habitats ranging from chaparral to mixed-evergreen forest at elevations below 1,820 meters. This distinctive spikemoss forms mat-like colonies in sunny areas and elongate-creeping formations in shade, with plants transitioning from green to tan and eventually gray. Growing with delicate leaves 1.4 to 2.5 millimeters long, the plant displays lanceolate leaves that maintain a different color from its stem and feature tiny rigid awns at their tips. Its leaves are particularly notable for having thickened tips on sterile stems, creating a distinctive textural element. In shaded conditions, the plant develops elongate stems with internodes often exceeding 7 millimeters, creating intricate ground-covering formations.

Habitat: Rocky outcrops, open to shady, dry to moist sites, chaparral to mixed-evergreen forest

Elevation: < 1820 m

Bioregions: NW, CaRF, n SNF (Butte Co.), n SNH, n SnFrB (Marin Co.)

California counties: Trinity, Tehama, Butte, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Plumas, Siskiyou, Sierra, Sonoma, Placer, Del Norte, El Dorado, Lake, Nevada, Shasta, Solano, Santa Barbara

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