Schizocentron (Heeria, Heterocentron) elegans Melastomaceae Spanish Shawl
Mexican creeping perennial with thickly branched stems rooting at the joints, making a plush carpet of tiny, teardrop leaves. In summer the one-inch open-faced, royal-purple flowers seem unbelievably large and rich. This one is very nice in a small hanging basket, but its natural inclination is to creep and it really goes to town when it can cover soil or some sort of porous support such as a moss totem pole. It should be spectacular covering a hanging ball filled with sphagnum moss.
CARE. Intermediate temperature, humid, loamy soil with humus, filtered sun, moist.
PROPAGATION. Cuttings, division of rooted stems.
SPECIAL USES. Small baskets, miniature gardens, ground cover.
Selaginella Selaginellaceae
Soft, fluffy foliage plants in all shades of green, including metallic, and with all kinds of growth, low and creepy, upright, even climbing. They bear more resemblance to each other than they do to their cousins the ferns.
emmeliana—sweat plant—As the nickname hints, this ferny plant languishes unless it is “perspiring” in high heat and humidity. In fact, once the fine-lace fronds turn dry and brown, they won’t be fresh and green again.
kraussiana browni—Scotch moss—Soft, symmetrical cushions of bright-green leaves, slowly spreading into larger mounds.
kraussiana (denticulata)—spreading club moss—Branching, rooting, creeping stems thickly set with needlepoint leaves.