About Selaginella oregana D.C.Eaton
Selaginella oregana D.C.Eaton is a species of spikemoss commonly called Oregon spikemoss. It is native to the Pacific Coast of western North America, ranging from British Columbia to northern California. This plant grows in mossy, shady coastal forests. It is often epiphytic, growing attached to tree branches, with its stems hanging as sheets of green, moss-like streamers. Trees frequently occupied by this spikemoss are bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), and red alder (Alnus rubra). It can also grow on the ground and on rocks, forming carpet-like mats. As a lycophyte, it has creeping or hanging stems that reach up to around 60 centimeters long, and usually produces forking branches. The stems curl when they dry. Stems are radially symmetric, and bear spirals of lance-shaped leaves. Each leaf is 2 to 3 millimeters long, and tipped with a tiny, rigid bristle. The strobili that hold the plant’s reproductive structures grow up to 6 centimeters long and often occur in pairs.
