Willdenow’s Spikemoss
About the Willdenow’s Spikemoss in Singapore
Last updated 31 May 2026
The Willdenow’s Spikemoss (Selaginella willdenowii) is a sprawling, fern-like non-flowering plant native to the deeply shaded understory of Singapore's mature forests.
Identifying features
Check out some identifying features of the Willdenow’s Spikemoss!
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Willdenow’s Spikemoss features an incredible, metallic peacock-blue iridescence that flashes across its fronds when viewed from certain angles. Its flat, branching stems are covered in tiny, overlapping, scale-like leaves. Additionally, it possesses long, stiff, wire-like roots (rhizophores) that prop its sprawling stems up above the forest floor.
Habitat and ecology
They are perfectly adapted to the gloom of the deep forest. The striking blue color is not a pigment, but a structural optical illusion! The unique structuring of the cells in the upper layer of the leaves reflects blue light while helping the plant absorb the tiny fractions of red and green light that penetrate the thick forest canopy.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is it a true moss or a fern?
Neither! Despite its fern-like appearance, spikemosses belong to an incredibly ancient group of non-flowering plants called lycophytes. They are a vascular plant with an evolutionary lineage that is much older than true ferns, having dominated the earth's forests hundreds of millions of years ago!
Learn more about the Willdenow’s Spikemoss!
Curious about the Willdenow’s Spikemoss? Here are some interesting articles you can read to learn more about them.
