Selaginella umbrosa

Selaginella umbrosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Lycophytes
Class:	Lycopodiopsida
Order:	Selaginellales
Family:	Selaginellaceae
Genus:	Selaginella
Species:	S. umbrosa
Binomial name
Selaginella umbrosa Lem. ex Hieron.

Selaginella umbrosa is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae family.

Umbrosa is native to South America, ranging from Yucatán to Colombia and Venezuela. It can be found in Barbados and Tobago, where it is most likely not native. It has also been introduced to the Island of Hawaii, where it was first seen cultivated in 1994, and then wild in 2000. The plant prefers to grow in shaded areas^[1]

The plant's stem is typically 8–25 centimeters long before branching, usually red in color. The branched portion is 10–25 centimeters, usually at a 45- to 90-degree angle from the stem.^[1]

In the traditional medicine of Belize, the plant is used to treat bladder infections, skin fungus, and mental illness.^[2]

References

1. Palmer, Daniel Dooley (2003-01-01). Hawai_i's Ferns and Fern Allies. University of Hawaii Press. p. 277. ISBN 9780824825225.
2. Balick, Michael J.; Arvigo, Rosita (2015-04-30). Messages from the Gods: A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize. Oxford University Press. p. 105. ISBN 9780199359134.

Sources

• GBIF entry