Selaginella moellendorffii ("Inukatahiba")

Japanese name: イヌカタヒバ （犬片檜葉）
Scientific name: Selaginella moellendorffii

[Overview]
An evergreen fern found on moist rocks and tree trunks along streams in forests.
The underground stem creeps through mud on rocks or moss on tree trunks.
The underground stem is about 1.2 mm in diameter and bears straw-colored leaves sparsely and closely pressed to it; it roots here and there, and its tip gradually becomes an aerial stem.
The aerial stem branches pinnately three to four times and forms a broadly ovate-triangular, blade-like part 12–25 cm long and 5–10 cm wide.
The blade-like part and the part that looks like a leaf stalk are about the same length.
The main stem is ridged and hairless.
At the base of the main stem, straw-colored leaves are borne sparsely and closely pressed to it; the leaves on the main stem are all the same shape, pointed at the tip, and entire.
The leaves on the branches consist of dorsal leaves borne on the upper side of the branch and ventral leaves borne on the sides of the branch, both arranged in two rows on the branch.
The dorsal leaves are ovate with the tip drawn out into an awn-like point; the margin has a membrane that looks white, and also has fine teeth.
The ventral leaves are ovate with a pointed tip, and the margin has fine teeth.
The spore-bearing spike is quadrangular-prism-shaped, 0.5–1.5 cm long, and borne singly at the tip of a twig.
The sporophylls are ovate with a sharply pointed tip, and the margin has a membrane and fine teeth.
In autumn the whole plant takes on a reddish-brown tinge, and asexual buds (propagules) form at the branch tips.

[History]
It grows wild in Okinawa, but in Honshu plants that were cultivated have escaped and can be seen on stone walls of houses and similar places.

[Uses]
In China, it is used medicinally to reduce fever, stop bleeding, promote urination and so on.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by asexual buds.
It prefers a sunny to partially shaded, well-drained, moisture-retentive site.
It dislikes strong direct sunlight and strong wind, and prefers an environment with high air humidity.
For potted plants, water from spring to autumn, also misting the leaves, and keep on the dry side in winter.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
If fertilizer is applied at planting, no further fertilizing is particularly necessary.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

[Notes]
It is the first fern to have had its genome successfully sequenced.

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