Selaginella chuweimingii Xin M. Zhou, Z. R. He, Liang Zhang & Li Bing Zhang

Plants terrestrial, xerophytic, seasonally green, main stem creeping, branches ascending, 25–70 cm (probably even longer), without creeping rhizomes or stolons. Rhizophores at intervals throughout length of main stem and branches, borne on ventral side in axils of primary branches, 5–13 cm long, slender, 0.1–0.2 mm diam.; roots much forked at end, 2.0–5.5 cm long, hairy. Main stems branched throughout, inarticulate, pinnately branched or forked occasionally, stramineous or reddish (when alive), 0.4–1.0 mm diam., terete, glabrous, with a single vascular bundle, apex of main stem not blackish, stramineous; some of the primary lateral branches developing into long branch systems, 4–12 cm long; primary leaf branches 14–25 pairs, 1–4 times pinnately branched, ultimate branches forked or simple, branchlets sparse and regular, adjacent primary branches on main stem 1.9–2.5 cm apart, leafy branches glabrous, main stem of the leafy portion including leaves 3.5–5.5 mm wide in the middle, ultimate branches 3.0–4.5 mm wide including leaves. Ventral leaves slightly symmetrical, those on main stem not obviously larger than those on branches; ventral leaves on main stem distant, on branches spreading or imbricate, ovate or oblong-ovate, 1.5–2.5 × 0.5–1.2 mm, white-margined, apex obtuse or slightly acute; acroscopic base strongly enlarged, auriculate, entirely overlapping stem and branches usually, margins densely ciliolate (0.3–1.0 mm), at acroscopic 1/2, less or obviously denticulate upward; basiscopic base slightly auriculate, margin ciliolate at base, less obviously denticulate upward; midrib slightly obvious on ventral side. Axillary leaves symmetrical, those on main stem not obviously larger than those on branches; oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 0.8–1.5×0.2–0.5 mm, white-margined, base rounded to slightly cordate, apex acuminate, margin ciliolate (0.3–1.2 mm) at basal 1/2–2/3, sparsely denticulate upward; vein slightly obvious on ventral side. Dorsal leaves nearly symmetrical to strongly asymmetrical, those on main stems not obviously larger than those on branches; ovate-lanceolate to obliquely ovate, 1.2–2.0 × 0.3–0.8 mm, not carinate, margin ciliolate or denticulate, base obliquely subcordate; apex acuminate to aristate, parallel to axis or apical arista curved outside; midrib slightly obvious on dorsal side. Strobili solitary or occasionally in pairs, terminal, compact, tetragonal, 3.0–9.5×1.3–2.2 mm; sporophylls monomorphic, obviously white-margined, ovate or broadly ovate, carinate, margins densely and regularly shortly ciliolate, apex acuminate; with only one megasporophyll at base of lower side, elsewhere with microsporophylls. Megaspores white, globose, equatorial axis 577.0–582.9 μm; laesurae slightly sinuous and extend 3/4 of distance to equator; both distal and proximal surfaces with irregularly sized and spaced lamellate ornamentation. Microspores yellowish orange, hemispherical, equatorial axis 25.9–27.0 μm; sinuous laesurae extend to equator, with verrucae; proximal surfaces verrucate, distal surfaces with less prominent verrucae and ridges.