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habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
close-up of bluish-green tinged leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
close-up of stems and leaf undersides (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
Scientific Name
Selaginella willdenovii (Desv. ex Poir.) Baker
Synonyms
Lycopodium willdenowii Desv. ex Poir.
Family
Selaginellaceae
Common Names
peacock fern, Willdenow's spikemoss
Origin
Native to south-eastern Asia (i.e. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines).
Naturalised Distribution
Locally naturalised in northern Queensland.
Notes
Peacock fern (Selaginella willdenovii) is regarded as an environmental weed in far north Queensland. This species was introduced as a garden ornamental because of its beautiful foliage and has become established near Kuranda in north-eastern Queensland. It prefers moist shady sites and forms dense thickets in the understorey of tropical rainforests. It is also listed as an undesirable plant in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.