Order Selaginellales
Selaginella, The Spikemosses
The spike mosses are a small group of mostly tropical fern allies that closely resemble the genus Lycopodium. 
(A.) Field picture of Selaginella , a tropical species which grows as a mat on the forest floor of the rain forest. (B.) Photomicrograph of the cross section of upright stem (10x). Cortex tissue is well developed and surrounds a central cavity which contains the vascular cylinder (stele) of xylem and phloem. Trabeculae (ribbon-like endodermal cells) connect the stele to the cortex. (C). Cross section of root.
This genus is a good example of the reproductive pattern of a heterosporous plant, the kind which is found in all higher plants. See the next page for detail.
