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Species library › Selaginella › Selaginella stellata
Terrarium Partly documented

Selaginella stellata

Starry spikemoss

A tropical American spikemoss of damp, shady forests from Mexico to Amazonian Brazil and Peru, with upright straw-coloured stems branching into an open, egg-shaped frond. It grows on shaded trail banks, cliff faces and forest floors, often in humid submontane forest. It is a natural terrarium plant that needs constant moisture, high humidity and low light.

At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Humid airBand in Plantistry
Light ShadeDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Damp, shady tropical forest, especially on trail sides, road banks and cliff faces; it rarely grows in true wetlands. Stems rise from the ground with rhizophores on the lower third.

Measured records span 40–4,225 m, median 1,172 m (639 records). Most Mexican records are from humid submontane and cloud forest around 1,000–1,500 m; the highest records are probably errors.

MexicoCentral AmericaColombiaVenezuelaGuianasEcuadorPeruNorthern Brazil

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.