The Fern Allies of the Ottawa-Hull District 
Part III The Spikemosses by D. F. Brunton 
Though they look like mosses, spikemosses (genus 
Selaginella ) are closely related to Lycopodiums . In 
fact, Selaginella means n little selago", referring to 
its close resemblance to Lycopodium selago . 
It is a huge genus, containing over 900 species 
in the world, only two of which reach the District. 
Their life-cycle, too, is like that of the club- 
mosses, except that Selaginella produces separate male 
and female spores, and gametophytes which are fertilized 
much more rapidly than those of clubmosses. 
The Species of Selaginella in the Ottawa-Hull District 
A key is hardly necessary with only two species 
occurring in the District. 
1 ROCK SPIKEMOSS (S. rupestris (L.) Spring.) 
As its name suggests, this species prefers open 
rocky areas; it is particularly common on cliffs. It 
doesn’t show a strong preference for any particular 
rock type in the District, though it is reputed to 
favour gneiss or granite (Cobb 1963). 
Look for a moss-like plant which is robust and 
grows in dense mats of 1 to 2 in. high stems over exposed 
rock. A close examination will show the thick, Lyco¬ 
podium- like leaves, and occasionally, the yellow 
sporangia scattered along the leafy stem. 
It is found on rocky areas throughout eastern 
North America, and in the District it is found commonly 
on the cliffs along the Eardley Escarpment and near 
Wakefield (Brunton 1972) and at Constance Bay (Porsild 
1941). 
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