selaginella

se·lag·i·nel·la

S0222700 (sə-lăj′ə-nĕl′ə)n. Any of numerous often creeping or prostrate vascular plants of the genus Selaginella that bear spores, have small scalelike leaves, and are closely related to the club mosses. Also called spikemoss.

[New Latin Selāginella, genus name, from Latin selāgō, selāgin-, a plant resembling savin, probably a kind of club moss or selaginella.]

selaginella

(ˌsɛlədʒɪˈnɛlə) n (Plants) any club moss of the genus Selaginella, having stems covered in small pointed leaves and small spore-bearing cones: family Selaginellaceae. See also resurrection plant[C19: from New Latin, diminutive of Latin selāgō plant similar to the savin]

Thesaurus

Noun

Selaginella - type and sole genus of the Selaginellaceae; evergreen moss-like plants: spike moss and little club mossgenus Selaginellafern genus - genera of ferns and fern alliesfamily Selaginellaceae, Selaginellaceae - lesser club mosses: terrestrial chiefly tropical plants resembling mosseslittle club moss, spike moss, spikemoss - any of numerous fern allies of the genus Selaginella

Selaginella

enUK

Selaginella

a genus of plants of the division Lycopodiophyta. The plants vary widely in appearance—ranging from soft, mosslike forms to creeping, twining, and caespitose forms. They range in size from 5–10 cm to 2–3 m (in the tropics). The stems of some twining tropical species reach 20 m in length. The leaves (more accurately, phylloids) may be identical or vary in size. Species growing in arid places have erect stems; those growing in moist places (the majority of species) have procumbent and dorsoventral stems. Branching is dichotomous, often becoming dichopodial. Procumbent and semiprocumbent stems are equipped with special root supports, or rhizophores. The roots are adventitious.

Propagation is by means of microspores and megaspores that develop in microsporangia and megasporangia and that arise on sporophylls gathered into strobiles at the ends of branches. The gametophytes that develop from the spores, especially the male ones, are greatly reduced. Selaginellas may also be propagated vegetatively.

There are more than 700 species of Selaginella, growing predominantly in the tropics. The USSR has eight species. About 25 species are grown as house plants and in conservatories.

M. E. KIRPICHNIKOV

selaginella

se·lag·i·nel·la

selaginella

Selaginella

Selaginella

Selaginella

Synonyms for Selaginella

noun type and sole genus of the Selaginellaceae

Synonyms

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