Selaginella tamariscina

Plants terrestrial or epilithic, xerophytic, "resurrectional"; stems forming rosette, evergreen or seasonally green, stems and roots entangled forming treelike trunk, 5-15(-45) cm. Rhizophores restricted to base of stem, 0.5-3 cm, rather thick; roots much forked, forming thick massive rootstock, sometimes up to 20 cm or more. Main stems branched at and above middle, pinnately or anisotomously branched, stramineous or brown, stem terete, not sulcate, branches few; primary leafy branches 2-5 pairs, 2 or 3 times pinnately branched, branchlets sparse and regular, leafy branches dorsiventrally flattened, ultimate branches 1.4-3.3 mm wide including leaves. Axillary leaves on branches symmetrical, ovate, ovate-triangular, or elliptic, 0.8-2.6 × 0.4-1.3 mm, base exauriculate, margin denticulate, dark-colored. Dorsal leaves imbricate, asymmetrical, elliptic, 1.5-2.5 × 0.3-0.9 mm, not carinate, base obtuse, not peltate, margin denticulate (shortly ciliolate at base), apex aristate, spreading or parallel to axis. Ventral leaves slightly ascending, overlapping, asymmetrical, ovate to triangular or oblong-ovate, 1.5-2.5 × 0.5-1.2 mm, apex aristate; basiscopic margin subentire, serrate or ciliolate (at base), revolute; acroscopic base enlarged, broader, overlapping stem and branches, margin lacerate or denticulate. Strobili solitary, terminal, compact, tetragonal, 12-15 × 1.2-2.6 mm; sporophylls uniform, white-margined and hyaline, ovate-triangular, margin denticulate, membranous, apex acuminate or aristate; megasporophylls ± randomly distributed on both sides of strobilus; microsporangia transversely elliptic, relatively thick; microspores yellowish orange, megaspores pale yellow.