spiny spikemoss
Selaginella acanthonota Underw.
Spiny spikemoss forms close clumps on sandy ground, with underground stems linked to short ascending or upright shoots. It belongs to the lycophytes, a spore-producing lineage distinct from flowering plants. Its compact branching structure and minute leaves reward a much closer view than a typical garden flower. Kew POWO: Selaginella acanthonotaFlora of North America: Selaginella acanthonota
Botanical name
Kew accepts Selaginella acanthonota Underw. and treats Bryodesma acanthonota and Selaginella arenicola subsp. acanthonota as homotypic synonyms. Kew POWO: Selaginella acanthonota
Recognizing the plant
The stems fork irregularly, and some branches remain small and budlike. Narrow leaves, only a few millimetres long, press closely against the shoots in apparent whorls of four or five. Their margins carry tiny hairs, and each tip ends in a pale bristle. Slender solitary cones bear the specialised leaves associated with spore production. Microscopic hairs along ridges on the leaf undersides help identify the species within the difficult Selaginella arenicola complex. Flora of North America: Selaginella acanthonota
Native range
It is native to Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Flora of North America records pine barrens, sand pine–oak scrub, dry sandy hills, dunes and exposed white sand, with occasional plants on sandstone. Northern populations tend to have more prostrate underground stems than the more ascending ones described from Florida. Kew POWO: Selaginella acanthonotaFlora of North America: Selaginella acanthonota
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.