Like the other desert-montane dwelling species of Selaginella (S. asprella, S. leucobryoides, and S. watsonii) S. eremophila inhabits fairly remote and generally inhospitable habitats in mountains which are within or bordering upon the Sonoran Desert of California, Arizona, and Baja California.
Known areas of collection of the species are pinpointed on this map.
These habitats experience extreme temperature changes, even within a single day, coupled with a low rainfall profile that tends to indicate the merit of the occasional summer monsoon storm and its extensive run-off which flood over the steep
ridges across the rocky slopes in which S. eremophila can be found inhabiting the shade of boulders.
Keir Morse has recently posted a series of excellent photograhs of this remote species. Surprisingly it bears a close resemblence to Selaginella hansenii.
Be sure to click on each of the ten images to get a closer look at this rarely seen species.