Selaginella apoda — meadow spikemoss
![Branches: Selaginella apoda. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-apoda-br-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Vegetative leaves: Selaginella apoda. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-apoda-tr-ahaines-c.jpg)
![Vegetative leaves: Selaginella apoda. ~ By Cheryl Lowe. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-apoda-tr-clowe.jpg)
![Shoots: Selaginella apoda. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Selaginellaceae/selaginella-apoda-sh-efarnsworth.jpg)
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
Facts
The stems of meadow spikemoss have two rows of larger leaves and two rows of smaller leaves. The veins in those leaves help distinguish it from a true moss.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields, riverine (in rivers or streams), shores of rivers or lakes
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf shape
- the vegetative leaves are short and scale-like
- Spore leaf arrangement
- the sporophylls are located on spore cones at the tips of the shoots or branches
- Form of shoot
- NA
- Horizontal stem
- the horizontal stem is on the surface of the ground
- Leaf differences
- the vegetative leaves within a node differ in size and shape
- Teeth on leaf edges
- the edges of the vegetative leaves have tiny teeth
- Leaf outline
-
- the vegetative leaves are widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip (lanceolate)
- the vegetative leaves are widest above the base, then broadly tapering towards the tip (ovate)
-
Clonal plantlets
- Gemma arrangement
- NA
- Gemma shape
- NA
- Gemma width
- 0 mm
-
Leaves
- Leaf differences
- the vegetative leaves within a node differ in size and shape
- Leaf length
- 1–2.25 mm
- Leaf orientation
-
- the vegetative leaves spread away from the stem
- the vegetative leaves spread slightly away from the stem, at a steep angle
- Leaf outline
-
- the vegetative leaves are widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip (lanceolate)
- the vegetative leaves are widest above the base, then broadly tapering towards the tip (ovate)
- Leaf ranks
- 4
- Leaf shape
- the vegetative leaves are short and scale-like
- Pores on leaves
- there are pores on both sides of the vegetative leaves
- Teeth on leaf edges
- the edges of the vegetative leaves have tiny teeth
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- in rivers or streams
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Spores or spore cones
- Cone base at stem
- the base of the spore-cone does not have a distinct stalk
- Cone stalk branching
- NA
- Cone thickness
- 0 mm
- Length of cone
- 10–20 mm
- Number of cones
- 1–2
- Quillwort itssue covering spores
- NA
- Same or different spores
- there are two different types of spores present
- Spore diameter
- 0.29–0.38
- Spore leaf arrangement
- the sporophylls are located on spore cones at the tips of the shoots or branches
- Spore leaf lifespan
- the sporophylls wither and fall off at the end of the growing season
- Spore leaf orientation
- the sporophylls slant upwards at a steep angle
- Spore leaf shape
- the spore-bearing leaves are small and scale-like
- Spore leaf teeth
- the edges of the spore-bearing leaves have tiny teeth
- Spore texture
- the spore surface has a net-like pattern on it (reticulate)
- Sporophyll ranks
- the sporophylls line up to form an X (4 ranks of leaves)
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branch cross-section
- NA
- Branch form
- NA
- Constriction zones
-
- NA
- NA
- Form of shoot
- NA
- Horizontal stem
- the horizontal stem is on the surface of the ground
- Horizontal stem length
- 0 mm
- Horizontal stem thickness
- 0 mm
- Stem height
- 0 mm
Wetland status
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- rare (S-rank: S2), endangered (code: E)
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Selaginella apoda (L.) Spring in Mart. et al. N
meadow spikemoss. Lycopodioides apoda (L.) Kuntze • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT; nearly throughout but absent from most of ME and northern NH. Stream banks, mesic to wet-mesic meadows and lawns.
Native to North America?
Yes
Synonyms
- Lycopodioides apoda (L.) Kuntze