Taxon Report

Selaginella leucobryoides Maxon

Mojave spike-moss

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Selaginella leucobryoides, commonly known as Mojave spike-moss, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Selaginellaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest, Mojavean desert scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 600 to 3150 meters. Selaginella leucobryoides is ranked 4.3, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Not very threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Selaginella leucobryoides Maxon
Common Name:
Mojave spike-moss
Family: Selaginellaceae
Element Code: PPSEL010P0
USDA Plants Symbol: SELE3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jun Jun
Elevation: 600-3150 (1970-10335)
General Habitats: Great Basin scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest, Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat: Carbonate (usually), Rocky
Microhabitat Details:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 0
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Ballarat (3611712), East of Kingston Peak (3511567), Fountain Peak (3411585), New York Butte (3611768), Panamint (3611711), Telescope Peak (3611721)

Notes

See Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 72(5):8 (1920) for original description.
Threats:
Taxonomy:
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 13 July 2025].