Here is a list of the Selaginella species of Georgia: There are two sections: 1. Tetragonostachys 2. Stachygynandrum the first are moss like and the second are like the common Selaginella kraussiana that is sold in many garden centers under a variety of names. 1. tetragonostachys: acanthonota, arenicola, rupestris, tortipila 2. stachygynandrum: apoda, ludoviciana There are several members of stachgynandrum that are of foreign origin that have been naturalized in the state. I have excluded them from the above list. For more info check out my site (link below) On growing Lycopodium: there is some belief that these club mosses have a commensual relationship with certain soil fungi in order to survive. I have no clue but would tend to think that not enough is really known to make such a statement. More information is really needed on the soil characteristics that these plants grow in, including temperatures and the seasonal variations of the characterisitics. I tend to think that for the creeping species that die back is normal on the older stems as the colony advances outward. I would think the easiest member to grow would be the semi aquatic Lycopodiella species. Here is a link that might be useful: The Genus Selaginella

My story is that I'm a junior at UMaine majoring in biology. Fun classes I'm taking now consist of biology &soil science. Bio 2 has been really good and has introduced us to plant diversity, including moss, which officially got me going on the moss fascination and made me love plants even more. Next year I'll have the chance to take plant physiology, plant biology, soil & organic matter management, intro to entomology, maybe one or two more cool ones but I can't remember. Classes I don't particularly care for I have to take is right now chemistry 2, next year organic chemistry 1&2, molecular and cellular biology, and one other one I forget I 've been growing vegetables for a few years and back home I have a decent amount of land to play with. This year I finally have a dorm with sunlight so I'm growing as much as I can and have started going into tropical plants, ferns, and now mosses. I really want to dive into growing mosses but I don't have much space right now. I love plants, not sure if I want to do a carreer with them, but if I did it'd involve growing plants rather than researching them. The hands on growing is the best part to mee. Otherwise it may be a carreer with insects or reptiles or plants and animals. Not sure. I need desperately to move into an apartment (with lots of sun I hope). I've vowed this is the last semester I'll be in a dorm. Dorms SUCK. I have a ton of plant growing ahead of me. All I need is more sun and more space. My dream is a house with a greenhouse or a greenroom or both. Plants everywhere, in every room. Maybe a climate-controlled small room or 2 for tropicals. Automatic misters. Garden outside in the summer. Oh man. I can't wait. I don't have bark so my oly substrate is coco coir, then moss ontop. I hope this works out. Otherwise, all I can add to it is a layer pos potting soil - but I don't know if I should do this. It's very easy for me to keep misting this moss. I need to control myself, remmeber that outside in maine, this moss isn't going to be in 80% humidity all the time, and cut down on spraying, as to keep the most moist, but not damp, and humidity high, but not too high. Mold is my scariest thought because I tried doing a "moss paste" and in 2 nights it was covered in mold (but that was because I kept it essentially soaked with water...duh!)

Treehaus, Thanks so much for the comments. However, I have to plea ignorance even though I wish I had the comprehensive education needed to really be able to provide an accurate identification. But I am finding out as I go. Talk about groping about in the dark!! For example, I just learned that one of the images under Selaginella is actually a leafy liverwort!!! Leafy liverwort??? I only thought of Marchantia as the liverwort!!! But I am not alone as I ran across another site that was identifying a plant as a moss but showed these weird structures that mosses simply do not have. It turns out that it too is a leafy liverwort!!! Anyhow, this original webjournal is going to be torn down in time. I have set up a new website that is easier to get into and does not have the traffic that freeservers appears to have which is illustrated by its page loads that are frequently distorted to the point of illegibility. The new site is under construction but the link to it is below. Stay tuned and enjoy as I stumble my way through the taxonomy!! Here is a link that might be useful: A Selected Flora of South Africa

Very nice image of this Lycopodium. It would be a difficult subject for a terrarium. However, it could be done if your terrarium was a cold terrarium with lows falling into the 30s and the highs probably into the mid 60s (all Fahrenheit). The other barrier to effective cultivation would be having enough of the rhizomes (roots) of the plant to help it survive. It may occur in your state. If you know anyone who owns forested land that has populations of this club moss on it then I would recommend that you get permission to pull a plug of a patch of the plant. Be sure to note the environmental situation and find out about the amount of light, rainfall, seasonal temperature changes as well as rainfall cycles. I would keep the terrarium outside in shade on the north side where it would be the coolest. Be careful with the humidity level as fungus could develop and overtake the plant. I have had limited success with different species of this genus. Mostly due to the simple fact that I have not had the time needed to really study and monitor the plants as should be done for this part of California. My own problems center around on keeping the plants cool enough! Otherwise I think that they would do well here. One important consideration is that they do not seem to enjoy having their roots disturbed either but I have not really done much in the way of experimenting with them on this issue. There are two sources of Lycopodium species. One is Orchid Gardens, 2232 139th Ave. N.W., Andover, Minnesota 55304 Mr. Phillips sells a 3 species collection of L. annotinum, L. clavatum, and L. obscurum (the easiest grower of the three) for only $6 USD. You will have to write him for a copy of a catalog. Send along a dollar for it. There is one other source of a native Lycopodium species, I think it is Lycopdiella inundata. It can be purchased over the net. Check the link below. Of all the species of Lycopodium and related genera (most of whom had been included in Lycopodium in the past) the Lycopodiellas are perhaps the easiest to grow. It is a bog type plant and just needs quality water, distilled or r/o, and an acidic mix, such as a blend of river sand and peat moss. It can handle some flooding and very mucky conditions. To expand upon your interest there is a gentleman in Florida who sells tropical species of Lycopodium. Rare Flora-click here I think this is it. Availabiltiy is variable and on a first come basis. And if you find Lycopodium intersting you might want to explore the world of our native Tetragonostachys section of Selaginella. These are the moss like species and occur mostly in the western half of the country though around 3 species are prevalent in the eastern half, Selaginella rupestris being the most commonly encountered one. Check my site for info and links to images and other relevant information. Selaginella-click here These plants are much easier to grow and are very interesting plants as well. You might be interested to know that a subspecies of L. clavatum occurs in the southern area of Africa! Here is a link that might be useful: Lycopodiella for sale here