Taxon Report

Selaginella scopulorum Maxon

Rocky Mountain spike-moss

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Taxon Summary

Selaginella scopulorum, commonly known as Rocky Mountain spike-moss, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Selaginellaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Subalpine coniferous forest, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1430 to 2285 meters. Selaginella scopulorum is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Selaginella scopulorum Maxon
Common Name:	Rocky Mountain spike-moss
Family:	Selaginellaceae
Element Code:	PPSEL010C2
USDA Plants Symbol:	SESC5
Synonyms/Other Names:	Selaginella densa var. scopulorum

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jul-Aug	Jul-Aug
Elevation:	1430-2285 (4690-7495)
General Habitats:	Subalpine coniferous forest, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Granitic, Metamorphic, Rocky, Volcanic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G5T5?
State Rank:	S2S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 3 to 2B.3 on 2022-10-04

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	21
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	21

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Siskiyou (SIS), Trinity (TRI)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Boulder Peak (4112351), Caribou Lake (4112218), Condrey Mtn. (4112288), Devils Punchbowl (4112376), Dewey Gulch (4112273), Dutch Creek (4112381), Eaton Peak (4112238), English Peak (4112342), Marble Mountain (4112352), Mount Eddy (4112234), Mt. Hilton (4012381), Scott Mountain (4112236), Seven Lakes Basin (4112224), Siligo Peak (4012288)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	%

Notes




Threats:

Taxonomy:
Selaginella densa Rydb. is an illegitimate name; if recognizing this taxon at varietal rank, then the correct name is S. engelmannii Hieron. var. scopulorum (Maxon) C.F. Reed. Varieties reportedly intergrade in Rocky Mtns. but distinct elsewhere. Collections from the Sierra Nevada (PLA Co.) presumably misidentified.

Selected References

Proposed Change from California Rare Plant Rank 3, G5T5? / S2S3 to 2B.3, G5 / S2S3

American Fern Journal 11:36 (1921)

Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 42:67-69 (1955)

Phytologia 9: 497-500 (1964)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 January 2025].