Selaginella tamariscina is a species of plant in the Selaginellaceae family, endemic to China, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, and northern Thailand. It is an evergreen perennial growing to 45cm in height.
Selaginella tamariscina is an evergreen, perennial plant that can grow in the soil or on rocks. The densely tufted stems are 4 - 15cm long, branched nearly to the base. They form a rosette, the stems and roots entangled to form a tree-like trunk that can exceptionally be 45cm long. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. This is a curious fern; when dry, the fronds, particularly the young ones, contract or roll up like the claws of a bird or like a miniature Cypress tree and become yellowish-brown; and when moistened, they spread out again and assume a green colour.
