Krauss' Spikemoss

Selaginella kraussiana is native to Macaronesia, tropical and South Africa. Genus epithet 'Selaginella' is diminutive of Selago, a flowering plant with fine moss-like foliage. Species epithet 'kraussiana' named after German naturalist, plant collector and museum director, Christian Ferdinand Friedrich von Krauss (1812-1890), who travelled to South Africa and collected 2,308 species, of which 340 species and 34 genera were new to science. It is a subshrub and grows primarly in the wet tropical biome(s). Different species of Selaginella have been used as food, medicine, in handicrafts and also as ornaments since primordial time. As the distribution of Selaginella species is seen worldwide, usage of these plants has been observed in traditional ways by the people around the world for various purposes.

Xiao cui yun (Chinese).

Prefers bright shade and rich acidic soils that are moist but well-drained. Do not let soil dry out in between watering, or sit plant in constantly waterlogged conditions which can cause crown rot. Likes high humidity -- mist occasionally, and enclose plant within terrarium if used in air-conditioned areas. Overly-low humidity makes plant prone to browning or leaf-scald. Common in botanical gardens, in shade-forming mats.

• Root - underground fibrous roots.
• Rhizophores - at intervals throughout length of creeping stem and branches, on dorsal side in axils of stem branches.
• Stem - main stems branched throughout, not very regularly pinnately branched, slightly articulate, stramineous, 0.6-1.2 mm in diam. in lower part, subquadrangular or angulate, sulcate, glabrous, with 3 vascular bundles; primary leafy branches 10-20 pairs, 2 or 3 times pinnately branched, branchlets sparse or irregular, adjacent primary branches on main stem 2-5 cm apart, ultimate branches 3-6 mm wide including leaves.
• Leaves - axillary leaves on main stems not obviously larger than those on branches, oblong-elliptic, base not peltate, obtuse; axillary leaves on branches symmetrical, oblong-elliptic, 2.3-3.8 × 1-2 mm, base exauriculate (obtuse), margin denticulate. Dorsal leaves asymmetrical, those on branches approximate or not, broadly elliptic-lanceolate, 2.1-2.8 × 0.6-1 mm, not carinate or slightly carinate, base oblique, slightly uniauriculate (on outer side), not peltate, margin denticulate, apex acuminate. Ventral leaves asymmetrical, those on main stem not obviously larger than those on branches; ventral leaves on branches distant, spreading, ovate-elliptic, 2.4-4 × 1.2-1.8 mm, margin denticulate, apex acute; acroscopic base not enlarged.
• Strobili - solitary, terminal and lateral to branches, compact, tetragonal, 3-4 × 1 mm. Sporophylls uniform, not white-margined, ovate-lanceolate, margin denticulate, apex acuminate. Lower side of strobilus with only 1 megasporophyll at base, elsewhere with microsporophylls. Microsporangia elliptic-oblong, with relatively large cells in central part. Microspores echinate, 25-36 μm, megaspores cristate-reticulate, 400-1100 μm.

• Generative propagation is by spores.
• Vegetative propagation is by stem cutting, division, and layering.

Flavonoids (ametoflavone and robustaflavone).

It has shown antitumor, anti-malarial, anti-allergic, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-hepatotoxic, estrogenic and antiviral activities.