Selaginella uncinata

Species: Selaginella uncinata

English Name: Peacock spike-moss, Blue Selaginella, Rainbow Moss

Chinese Name: 翠雲草, 藍地柏, 綠絨草

Family: Selaginellaceae

Description:

Named after its striking, iridescent, bluish-green summer foliage that changes to a rusty-rose in the winter months and notable for its frilly, metallic-blue foliage, Peacock fern is closely related to true ferns, but in its own plant family, the Selaginellaceae. This perennial, trailing plant is native to China. Its creeping stems hug the ground and root as they spread. The scale-like leaves are green with a lustrous cast of blue-green to powdery blue. No flowers are produced, but this “fern ally” makes spores upon small leafy spikes.

© 2008 Dracophyllum, Gordon K. A. Dickson

Photos used under a Creative Commons license

References:

– Chan Shek-Kiu and Wu Qi-Gen. Chinese Medicinal Herbs of Macao (Volume 1), Macao, University of Macau, 2003.

– Department of Gardens and Green Areas, Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau of Macao Special Administrative Region, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science 2005. Flora of Macao (Volume 1). Macao, SAR: Author

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