Selaginellaceae of China

Online resources for the Taxonomy of Asian Selaginella

Selaginella xipholepis

General description: 

Plants terrestrial or epilithic, evergreen or seasonally green; creeping stems 5-10 cm; fertile stems erect. Rhizophores restricted to lower part of erect fertile branches and at intervals throughout length of creeping stem and branches, borne on ventral side in axils of branches. Main stems branched throughout; erect fertile stems not very regularly pinnately branched, stramineous, 5-10 cm high, 0.3-0.4 mm in diam. in lower part, terete, not sulcate; primary leafy branches 2 or 3 pairs, once or twice forked, branchlets sparse, adjacent primary branches on main stem 1.5-2 cm apart, leafy portion of main stem including leaves 4.5-6 mm wide at middle, ultimate branches 3-4.4 mm wide including leaves. Axillary leaves on branches symmetrical or asymmetrical, triangular, 1.6-2.5 × 1-1.4 mm, base exauriculate, margin ciliolate. Dorsal leaves ± symmetrical, those on main stems slightly larger than those on branches; dorsal leaves on branches approximate or imbricate, ovate, 1.5-2 × 0.5-1.2 mm, carinate, base slightly subcordate, margin long ciliolate at base, shortly ciliolate upward, apex acuminate or aristate. Ventral leaves asymmetrical, those on main stem larger than those on branches; ventral leaves on branches spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 2.3-3.2 × 1.3-1.5 mm, apex acute or acuminate; basiscopic margin not entire, denticulate in basal half, elsewhere subentire; acroscopic base enlarged, broader, strongly overlapping stem and branches, margin rather long ciliolate at base, denticulate to apex, cilia 0.4-0.6 mm. Strobili solitary or in pairs, terminal, compact, dorsiventrally complanate, 15-22 × 2.2-3 mm; sporophylls dimorphic or slightly dimorphic, resupinate, not obviously white-margined; dorsal sporophylls oblong-lanceolate, sharply carinate, margin denticulate, apex long acuminate, with sporophyll-pteryx complete and denticulate; ventral sporophylls ovate-lanceolate, sharply carinate, margin denticulate; megasporophylls in basal portion on lower side of strobilus or throughout lower side, or megasporophylls and microsporophylls at intervals; microsporangia transversely elliptic, rather thin, cells uniform; microspores yellowish orange, covered with small rounded protuberances, megaspores yellowish orange, verrucate to gemmate.

Distribution: 

Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi.

Habitat: 

Creeping and often forming mats on moss-covered rocks; 400-900 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