Name: Selaginellaceae
Meaning of Name:
Selaginellaceae, from Latin selago (‘plant resembling the savin juniper Juniperus sabina’) + Latin -āceae (the feminine plural of -āceus, ‘resembling’, a suffix used to form the taxonomic family names of plants, algae, bacteria, and fungi)
Common Names:
The spikemoss or lesser clubmoss family
Botanical Information:
The Selaginellaceae family contains a single genus, Selaginella within which are over 750 species.
Some Selaginella species such as S. kraussiana are grown for their ornamental value.
Differences to do with their leaf scales and spores distinguish Selaginella species from the true spikemosses of the Lycopodiaceae (clubmoss) family.
The photo chosen to illustrate this family shows a close-up of the structure of Selaginella kraussiana.
Image copyright © Optimate Group Pty Ltd
