Selaginellaceae of China

Online resources for the Taxonomy of Asian Selaginella

Selaginella nummularifolia

General description: 

Plants terrestrial or epilithic, evergreen or seasonally green, long creeping, 7-30 cm. Rhizophores at intervals throughout length of creeping stem and branches, producing axillary branches from dorsal side of stem axis. Main stems branched throughout, reddish or brown, 0.5-0.8 mm in diam. in lower part, stem terete, branches many, some primary lateral branches developing into long branch systems, 3 or 4 times pinnately branched, branchlets sparse, adjacent primary branches on main stem 2-2.8 cm apart, ultimate branches 1.7-2.2 mm wide including leaves. Axillary leaves on main stems larger than those on branches, oblong, base peltate, truncate; axillary leaves on branches symmetrical, oblong, 1-1.6 × 0.5-0.6 mm, base peltate, margin slightly lacerate-ciliolate. Dorsal leaves asymmetrical, those on main stems slightly larger than those on branches; dorsal leaves on branches imbricate, broadly ovate or suborbicular, 1.1-1.9 × 0.8-1.5 mm, not carinate, base obtuse, peltate, margin slightly lacerate-ciliolate or subentire, apex obtuse, parallel to axis. Ventral leaves asymmetrical, brown or reddish, slightly smaller than dorsal leaves, covered by dorsal leaves above, almost overlapping; ventral leaves on branches contiguous, slightly ascending, oblong-ovate, 1-1.5 × 0.6-0.8 mm, margin slightly lacerate-ciliolate, apex obtuse. Strobili solitary, terminal, compact, tetragonal, ca. 14 × 1-1.2 mm; sporophylls uniform, not white-margined, broadly ovate, sharply carinate, margin slightly lacerate-ciliolate, apex acute; ventral sporophylls brown or reddish, carinate, only one megasporophyll in upper portion on lower side of strobilus; microsporangia suborbicular, relatively thick; microspores yellowish orange, megaspores yellowish orange.

Distribution: 

Xizang.

Habitat: 

Betula or Cupressus gigantea relict forests, on limestone rocks; 3100-4200 m.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith