​🌳 Habitat and Ecology
​Selaginella picta (the Painted Spike Moss) is a medium-sized, perennial terrestrial lycophyte native to Southeast Asia, with a distribution spanning China, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is found growing on shaded, damp forest floors and mossy banks in tropical and subtropical evergreen forests, typically at moderate elevations. This species is adapted to thrive in deep shade and a constantly moist, highly humid environment, which is crucial for the survival of its delicate microphylls.
 
​🌸 Description and Distinguishing Features
​This plant is an evergreen herbaceous perennial prized for its highly ornamental, variegated foliage.
 
​Foliage: It forms a creeping, mat-forming base that produces upright, branched stems. Like all spike mosses, the leaves (microphylls) are dimorphic, arranged in four rows. The foliage is a dark, rich green.
 
​Aesthetics: Its defining feature is the conspicuous, broad, silvery-white or pale lime-green stripe that runs down the center of the upper surface of the leaves and stems. This gives the plant a dramatic, painted or frosted appearance, hence its common name.
 
​Ethnobotany: While direct uses are limited, other Selaginella species, such as the resurrection plant (S. lepidophylla) or the many species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), are valued for their diuretic and hemostatic (blood-clotting) properties. This suggests a broader phytochemical interest in the genus.
 
​Differentiation: S. picta is distinguished from other cultivated Selaginella species primarily by its unique, non-iridescent variegation:
 
​Versus S. uncinata: S. uncinata has a blue-iridescent sheen and uniform colouration, completely lacking the distinct white central stripe of S. picta.
 
​Versus S. viticulosa: S. viticulosa often has reddish stems and a faint striping, but the stripe in S. picta is much broader, brighter, and more prominent, appearing heavily painted.
 
​Versus S. wallichii: S. wallichii is a much taller, more robust, upright, and shrubby plant with uniform green colour, lacking the low habit and striking variegation of S. picta.
 
​💧 Cultivation and Care
​Selaginella picta requires consistently high moisture and humidity, making it an exceptional subject for a terrarium, vivarium, or humid cabinet in the UK.
 
​Light: Needs low to medium indirect light (shade is ideal); filtered light is necessary to enhance the white stripe, but direct sun is fatal.
 
​Substrate: Use a humus-rich, very well-draining, yet moisture-retentive medium. A mix of rich houseplant compost, perlite, and a small amount of synthetic peat or coir is suitable.
 
​Watering: The medium must be kept consistently moist at all times; never allow it to dry out. Water frequently with tepid water.
 
​Temperature: It is a warm-intermediate grower that dislikes cold drafts.
​Optimal Daytime Temperature: 18-27 C (64-81 F).
​Minimum Winter Temperature: Not below 12 C (54 F).
 
​Humidity: Extremely high humidity (75-90%+) is mandatory for this species.
 
​✨ Unique Features
​This Painted Spike Moss is a highly popular collector's plant for its dramatic, permanent, silvery-white variegation that looks like frost painted down the centre of its leaves. Its ability to form a dense, low-growing carpet makes it an unparalleled textural feature for the floor of a controlled, humid ecosystem.
 
​🏷️ Specifications
​Plant Size: divisions propagated by us in the UK and approximately 15 cm high.
Plant Family: Selaginellaceae
Plant Passport: A Selaginella picta B 140084 C [buyer to use number of the plant label] D GB