Selaginella Uncinata
Plant Profile
Selaginella uncinata, widely known as Peacock Spikemoss, is a trailing tropical lycophyte featuring delicate, fern-like scale foliage that displays a metallic-blue iridescence under filtered light. A great pick for emersed setups, this terrestrial plant serves as a spreading groundcover carpet across damp tank floors, lower hardscape ledges, and moist shoreline banks in paludariums. Fun fact: its blue sheen is not caused by blue pigment, but by microscopic optical structures in the upper leaf cells that refract and bend light in shaded environments.
Key Features & Notes
- Delicate fern-like scale foliage exhibits a vivid metallic-blue iridescence under indirect lighting.
- Spreading groundcover habit roots along creeping stem nodes to carpet moist hardscape and soil.
- Requires consistent ambient humidity and moist, well-aerated substrate to prevent branch dieback.
Care & Planting Instructions
- Press trailing stem portions gently onto moist, well-draining substrate or tuck stems into damp sphagnum moss across foreground terrain and lower hardscape ledges.
- Maintain ambient humidity above 75% while ensuring the substrate remains aerated and damp; yellowing foliage typically signals waterlogged, anaerobic soil.
- Trim wandering stem tips with sharp shears to manage spread and encourage dense lateral branching across the foreground.
- Final size and blue iridescence depend entirely on your specific setup conditions; please note that photos are a representation, and individual plants may vary.
- Selaginella uncinata are terrestrial plants, and being submerged will result in the death of the plants.
Quick Facts
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. Team Buce Plant encourages you to do thorough research to ensure healthy growth!
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Selaginella uncinata |
| Common Name(s) | Peacock Spikemoss, Blue Spikemoss, Rainbow Moss |
| Family | Selaginellaceae |
| Plant Type | Creeping Lycophyte / Spikemoss |
| Care Difficulty | Easy |
| Light Requirement | Low to Medium (Filtered / Indirect) |
| Submersion Suitability | Emersed Only (Not for full submersion) |
| Placement / Usage | Foreground Carpet, Terrarium Floor, Paludarium Banks |
| Height / Size | 1"–3" height (spreads indefinitely along runners) |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Humidity Requirement | High (> 75% RH) |
| Propagation Method | Stem Cuttings / Root Division |
| Origin | Southern China |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can Selaginella uncinata survive in a closed terrarium?
Yes. It thrives in sealed or semi-enclosed glass containers where steady high humidity protects the delicate creeping stems from drying out.
2. Why is my Peacock Spikemoss turning green instead of blue?
Iridescence develops strongest under indirect, filtered light and high humidity. Excessive light intensity or dry air causes foliage to revert to flat green.
3. How do you propagate Selaginella uncinata?
Snip a trailing stem cutting with visible rootlets and pin it flat against moist substrate or wet sphagnum moss until new nodes anchor.