Selaginella scabrifolia

Plants terrestrial, evergreen, suberect or ascending from decumbent base, rarely creeping, 30-60 cm. Rhizophores branched throughout length of stem and branches, or restricted to middle of suberect main stem. Main stems branched from near base upward, pinnately branched, 0.6-2.4 mm in diam. in lower part, oval or subquadrangular; primary leafy branches 6-12 pairs, 3 times pinnately branched, secondary branches once or twice pinnately branched, tertiary branches forked or once pinnately branched, branchlets dense and regular, adjacent primary branches on main stem 2-5 cm apart, leafy portion of main stem including leaves 4.5-7 mm wide at middle, ultimate branches 2.5-4 mm wide including leaves. All leaves spinose on adaxial surface. Axillary leaves on branches symmetrical, ovate, 1.2-2.5 × 0.5-1.5 mm, base exauriculate, margin denticulate. Dorsal leaves on branches approximate, parallel to axis or overlapping at leaf apex, ovate, obovate, or ovate-elliptic, 0.8-1.4 × 0.3-0.8 mm, slightly carinate, base cuneate, margin denticulate, apex rather long aristate. Ventral leaves on branches contiguous or overlapping, somewhat slightly ascending, ovate-triangular or ovate-lanceolate, 1.7-4 × 0.5-1.5 mm, apex subacute or obtuse; basiscopic base rounded or decurrent, margin subentire, entire or denticulate at base, slightly involute; acroscopic base enlarged, broader, overlapping stem and branches, margin denticulate. Strobili solitary, terminal, compact, tetragonal, 4-26 × 2-3 mm; sporophylls uniform, not obviously white-margined, ovate-triangular, carinate, margin denticulate, apex acuminate, without sporophyll-pteryx; microsporangia elliptic-oblong, relatively thick; marginal cells differentiated, longer; microspores pale yellow, megaspores whitish.