Selaginella pulvinata

Selaginella pulvinaata, commonly known as the cushion moss spike-moss, is a resilient lycophyte prized for its unique desiccation-tolerance capabilities. Beyond its ornamental beauty, this plant is studied for its physiological mechanisms, offering profound insights into survival strategies that could potentially inspire advancements in botanical medicine and drought-resistant biotechnology.

  • Scientific name: Selaginella pulvinata
  • Family: Selaginellaceae
  • Native range: Asia-Temperate

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Selaginella pulvinaata, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Lycopodiidae, it is classified under the order Selaginellales and the family Selaginellaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by its placement within the genus Selaginella.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Lycopodiidae WCVP
Order Selaginellales WCVP
Family Selaginellaceae WCVP
Genus Selaginella WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Selaginella pulvinaata, is referred to by various common names depending on the linguistic context and region. In Chinese, it is commonly known as 卷柏 (juǎnbǎi) or more specifically as 垫状卷柏 (diànzhuàng juǎnbǎi). This specific nomenclature is consistent across different writing systems and regions: in Simplified Chinese (zh-hans) used in mainland China (zh-cn), it is written as 垫状卷柏, while in Traditional Chinese (zh-tw) used in Taiwan, it is written as 墊狀卷柏.
Language Common Name Source
zh 垫状卷柏 Wikidata
zh-hans 垫状卷柏 Wikidata
zh-cn 垫状卷柏 Wikidata
zh-tw 墊狀卷柏 Wikidata
zh 卷柏 Wikidata
zh 黑顶卷柏 Wikidata
zh 垫状卷柏 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several distinct regions in Asia. Within China, it can be found spanning from the South-Central areas to the North-Central territories. It is also documented growing in the Southeast regions of China. Furthermore, its presence extends into the high-altitude landscapes of Tibet. Beyond China, the species is also distributed within the Indian Subcontinent, specifically in Nepal.

Region Area Source
China China South-Central WCVP
China China North-Central WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
China Tibet WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Nepal WCVP
Indian Subcontinent West Himalaya WCVP
Indo-China Thailand WCVP
Indo-China Vietnam WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Selaginella pulvinaata, is a species of clubmoss often utilized in traditional practices where the whole plant is harvested for its medicinal properties. Because its therapeutic benefits are distributed throughout its structure, practitioners typically use the whole plants to prepare decoctions or extracts. By employing the whole plant, the full spectrum of its biological compounds can be utilized, ensuring that all active constituents are included in the medicinal application.
Total parts
2
Scientific sources
2
Plant Part Sources Confidence
whole plants 1 ★☆☆☆☆
whole plant 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

Selaginella pulvinata has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include selaginellin, selaginellin B.

Total chemicals
2
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
selaginellin 1 ★☆☆☆☆
selaginellin B 1 ★☆☆☆☆