🇲🇺 Habitat and Ecology
Selaginella rodriguesiana is a delicate lycophyte (a lineage of "fern allies") that is endemic to Rodrigues Island, a tiny, isolated volcanic island in the Mascarene archipelago (part of the Republic of Mauritius). In its natural habitat, it belongs to the wet tropical biome. It is found growing in the few remaining pockets of native forest and shaded ravines (such as those in the Grande Montagne nature reserve), where it thrives in damp, sheltered microclimates on volcanic soil or wet rocks (lithophytic).
🌿 Description and Distinguishing Features
This plant is a mat-forming, creeping perennial that closely resembles a moss, though it is biologically more complex.
Habit: It produces slender, prostrate stems that branch freely and root at the nodes, creating a dense, soft carpet of foliage that hugs the ground or rock face.
Foliage: The leaves (technically microphylls) are minute, scale-like, and arranged in four distinct rows along the stem. The lateral leaves are spreading while the median leaves are appressed, giving the fronds a flattened, fern-like appearance. The foliage is typically a fresh, bright green, lacking the iridescent blue of S. uncinata or the deep red underside of S. erythropus.
Reproduction: As a lycophyte, it does not produce flowers. Instead, it reproduces via spores borne in small, cone-like structures called strobili located at the tips of the branches.
Differentiation:
Versus Selaginella concinna: S. concinna is native to the nearby islands of Mauritius and Réunion. S. rodriguesiana is the geographical equivalent specific to Rodrigues. While visually similar, they are geographically isolated populations.
🔬 Taxonomy and Ethnobotany
Taxonomy: Selaginella is the sole genus in the family Selaginellaceae. These plants are often called Spikemosses or Clubmosses, but they are neither true mosses nor ferns. They represent an ancient lineage of vascular plants (Lycophytes) that dates back over 300 million years to the Carboniferous period.
Conservation Importance: Being endemic to Rodrigues, an island that has suffered severe historical deforestation, S. rodriguesiana is a species of significant conservation concern. It represents a fragment of the island's original pre-human flora.
Ethnobotany: There are no recorded traditional uses for this specific species. Its value is primarily scientific (as an evolutionary distinct lineage) and ecological (as a native groundcover).
💧 Cultivation and Care
Like most tropical Selaginella, S. rodriguesiana is notoriously difficult to grow as a standard houseplant. It is an obligate terrarium plant that requires stable, enclosed conditions.
Light: Requires low to medium indirect light. It grows on the dark forest floor and will easily scorch under direct sun or intense grow lights.
Substrate: Needs a moisture-retentive, slightly acidic mix. A blend of peat moss, sphagnum moss, and perlite (often called an ABG mix) works well. The substrate should be airy but capable of staying damp.
Watering: The root system is shallow and fragile. The substrate must be kept consistently moist but never waterlogged. Never allow it to dry out; even a few hours of dryness can cause the foliage to crisp and die. Use distilled or rainwater to prevent mineral burn.
Temperature:
Optimal daytime: 18-25 C (64-77 F).
Minimum: Avoid temperatures below 15 C (59 F). It is a tropical island species and is not frost-tolerant.
Humidity: Extremely High (80-90%+). This is the critical success factor. It relies on ambient humidity to prevent dehydration. It rarely survives in open rooms and thrives best in bottle gardens, terrariums, or vivariums.
✨ Unique Features
The primary appeal of Selaginella rodriguesiana is its status as a rare island endemic. For the collector, it offers the lush, textural beauty of a "fairy carpet" moss but with the biological prestige of being a rare Mascarene species. Its dense, creeping habit makes it an excellent background plant in high-humidity terrariums.
🏷️ Specifications
Plant Size: Creeping mat in a 12 cm pot, height <5 cm. A division from our stock plant.
Plant Family: Selaginellaceae
Plant Passport: A Selaginella rodriguesiana B 140084 C [buyer to use number of the plant label] D GB
