The natural world. Looking pretty for 3.5b years.

Electric Fern...plant of the week

Author: Hugh Bollinger/Thursday, November 20, 2014/Categories: natural history, photography, plants

Electric-blue Ferns are rainforest beauties of the ancient genus Selaginella (Spikemoss) and the plant of the week. They belong to a group of unique prehistoric plant species, relatives of ferns. They have survived in moist temperate and tropical forests since before the dinosaurs roamed where some were tree-like. Electric ferns produce iridescent blue tones from light reflected off their scaly leaves.

Electric-blue Fern (Selaginella wilderhovii), Queensland, Australia (credit: SWP Media)

It would have been super-beautiful to have been able to see forests of blue trees shimmering in the wind eons before quaking aspen evolved.

WHB

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Tags: Australian plants selaginella electric blue fern Queensland plants Selaginella wilderhovii