Selaginella daozhenensis
Plants terrestrial, summer-green, (8–)13–16(–20) cm tall, with creeping subterranean rhizome and stolons. Rhizophores restricted to base of stem or borne on creeping rhizomes and stolons. Main stems erect, 2–4 times pinnately branched,
glabrous, castaneous or stramineous, 0.6–1.0 mm diam. in basal portion, terete, slightly sulcate, with 1 vascular bundle; branches 8–12, 0.6–1.7 cm apart from each other, middle branches longer than the other, ultimate branches 4–5 mm wide including leaves. Leaves trimorphic, bluish green when fresh, whitish and short-ciliate on rhizomes, sparse on unbranched main stem and base of branches, dense on branchlets: axillary leaves on middle main stem narrowly ovate, 3–4 × 1.5–2 mm, rounded or slightly cordate at base, acute at apex, margins sparsely ciliate; axillary leaves on upper main stem and lateral branches ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–3 × 0.8–1.2 mm, rounded or slightly cordate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, margins sparsely ciliate (Figs. 1D, 2L); median leaves on middle main stem ovate, 1.8–2.1 × 0.6– 0.7 mm, asymmetrical at base, apex with arista as long as leaves, margins ciliate; median leaves on upper main stem and lateral branches ovate, 2.7–3.0 × 1.3–1.5 mm, cordate and symmetrical at base, apex with arista as long as leaves, margins ciliate (Figs. 1B, C, 2J, K); lateral leaves ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 3.5–5.0 × 1.7–2.5 mm, asymmetrical at base, acute at apex, margins ciliate (Figs. 1A, 2H, I). Strobili compact, dorsiventrally complanate, solitary, on terminal or lateral branches, (3–)5–8(–11) × 3–4 mm (Fig. 2D, E). Sporophylls obviously dimorphic: median sporophylls ovate, 1.9–2.1 × 0.7–0.8 mm, keeled, base rounded, apex long-aristate, margins ciliate; lateral sporophylls ovate-lanceolate, 2.4–2.6 × 1.1–1.3 mm, keeled, apex acuminate (Figs. 1E, F, 2F, G). Microsporangia borne on lower to middle portions of strobili; microspores orange (immature). Megasporangia not seen.
Selaginella daozhenensis is similar to S. labordei Hieronymus ex Christ (1902: 272) and S. sichuanica H.S.Kung (1981: 252), but the new species is distinct by its leaves being bluish green when fresh, its median leaves having aristae as long as
leaves, and its lateral leaves being larger (3.5–5 × 1.7–2.5 mm).
Known only from the type collection growing on limestone soil in a cave of the Dashahe Nature Reserve at ca. 1280 m, Selaginella daozhenensis may prove to be an endemic of this type of habitat as has been shown for species of the fern genus Polystichum that grow under similar conditions as reported by Zhang & He (2010, 2011, 2012). The soil at the type location was of basic pH.