Selaginella picta

• Origin: China, Vietnam, Myanmar
  
• Care: Easy / Medium / Advanced
• Suitable as a houseplant?: Yes / Limited / No
• Suitable locations: Terrarium
  
• Special features: Young plants only develop this great pattern gradually.

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In a revision by Zhou and Zang (2023), the large and highly diverse genus Selaginella was split into several genera. According to this revision, the new name for this plant is now Didiclis picta . We will continue to use the old name for the time being, until the new names are confirmed by other authors.

Selaginella picta is a beautiful moss fern from Vietnam, Myanmar, and southeastern China. It grows in damp areas of the undergrowth in tropical and subtropical rainforests, often near small streams.

Selaginella picta is a ground cover. Its stems are reddish-brown, growing up to 5 mm thick and about 30 cm tall. From the main stems, downward-pointing, colorless, leafless shoots called rhizophores emerge at regular intervals, often at the branching points. Roots form at their ends, anchoring the plant in the soil. From the thick main stem, thinner stems branch out into up to three progressively smaller substems, on which the tiny, only about 2 to 4 mm long leaves are attached. These are arranged very regularly, giving it its fern-like appearance. This species produces two different types of leaves, arranged in two rows along the stems. The lower, larger leaves are green, while the upper ones are only about half the size and white. This gives the species its unique appearance, as if it were decorated with sequins.

Its habitat features a short, hot dry season to which this species' life cycle has adapted. Towards the end of the rainy season, a strobilus ("cone") forms at the end of each branch, in which the spores are produced. These strobili look different from the rest of the plant: uniformly green, thinner, and drooping. With the onset of the dry season, these strobili are ripe and disperse the spores via the wind, and the old stem on which they were formed usually withers. Selaginella picta then survives the remainder of the dry season almost leafless. When it becomes cooler and wetter again, it forms new stems, and the cycle begins anew.

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You will receive a strong plant in a 7cm pot, approximately 10 to 20cm tall.

Please note: The small twigs of this species break very easily. Even with very good packaging, some pieces will likely break off after shipping. Unfortunately, this cannot be prevented, but it doesn't significantly harm the plant. After an acclimatization period, this species continues to grow quite quickly. Such damage is not grounds for a complaint.