Selaginella exaltata
(Kunze) Spring
Selaginellaceae
Lycopodium exaltatum Kunze
Selaginella strobilifera Christ
Common Name:
General Information
Selaginella exaltata is an evergreen fern. A climbing or scrambling plant, it produces stems up to 8 metres long, but more commonly up to 3 metres. The scandent habit of these plants, with their dense branches bearing closely placed leaves, forms a compact cover over other vegetation[
488- Title
- Pteridophyta of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tryon R.M.: Stolze R.G.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of the fern species in Peru. It cam be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a source of weaving material.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
488- Title
- Pteridophyta of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tryon R.M.: Stolze R.G.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of the fern species in Peru. It cam be downloaded from the Internet.
Range
S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia; C. America - Panama to Costa Rica.
Habitat
Lowland forests, rain forests, secondary forests, and disturbed areas, scandent or scrambling over shrubs, often forming dense thickets; at elevations from 30 - 760 metres[
488- Title
- Pteridophyta of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tryon R.M.: Stolze R.G.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of the fern species in Peru. It cam be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Fern |
| Height | 3.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Plants often form dense thickets of growth[
488- Title
- Pteridophyta of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tryon R.M.: Stolze R.G.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of the fern species in Peru. It cam be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The plant is used in the treatment of colds and coughs[
918- Title
- Journal of Ethnobiology. Vol. 12
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ethnobiology.org
- Publisher
- Society of Ethnobiology
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0278-0771
- Description
- A periodical with articles on the various uses of plants by native peoples.
].
Other Uses
The wiry stems are used to weave headbands[
521- Title
- Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
- Publication
- Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
- Author
- Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 0015 - 0746
- Description
- Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
