FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Selaginella selaginoides, Lesser Clubmoss, Mosajafni

Selaginella selaginoides; The Lesser Clubmoss is a common small plant on Iceland's dry heathers, scrublands and grasslands. It is a rather small clubmoss (about 8 cm tall) that doesn't form longer prostrate stems. Characteristic are the teeth on the sporophyll leaves. The leaves are about 3mm long. The sporangia are placed in the upper part of fertile shoots. There are two types of sporangia: on top are yellow sporangia containing yellow microspores. Microspores germinate into prothallia with male-reproduction organs. Below are green-colored sporangia which contain macrospores. The macrospores germinate into prothallia which produce female-reproduction organs.

Although it is in name a clubmoss, Selaginella's are included in a very different group of the Lycopod class. It is family of the Selaginaceae, the spikemoss family.
On Iceland it is known as Mosajafni.

A brief introduction to Iceland plants
Text & Photographs by Dick Vuijk
- unless stated otherwise
Other fern-related species

Other fern-related species

 Press on photo for full size

 

 

 

 

Natural History of Iceland Site  in Dutch

Natural History of Iceland Site  Dutch