Spikemoss fern
Selaginella opaca
Family: Selaginellaceae
What it is like
A fern. It grows in soil. The rhizome is long and creeping. It is irregularly branched. The stalk is rusty-yellow. The fronds are 10 cm long and irregularly twice divided.
There are about 700 Selaginella species. They are mostly in the humid tropics and subtropics.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in primary and old secondary forests from mid to high mountain areas.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, India, Indonesia (country/location of origin), Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia
How it is used for food
The leaves are cooked and used as a vegetable and medicine.
Edible parts
Fronds, leaves, vegetable, caution
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Pakis lumut, Pulalata, Rane