Selaginella stenophylla A.Braun

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.

  • Family

    Selaginellaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Selaginella stenophylla A.Braun

  • Description

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    Species Description - Stems creeping, greenish or stramineous, to ca. 35 cm long, 0.5-1.4 mm diam., not articulate, not flagelliform, not stoloniferous, 3-4 times branched; rhizophores restricted to proximal half or throughout stems, stout, 0.5 -0.8 mm diam.; leaves of two kinds (anisophyllous) throughout stem length; lateral leaves oblong to oblong-ovate, (1.5-)2-3.7 x (0.6-)1-1.5 mm, bases cordate, margins hyaline, acroscopic margins finely denticulate to entire, apices broadly acute to rounded, both surfaces glabrous, with conspicuous or obscure idioblasts; median leaves elliptic or elliptic-ovate, 1.3 -2 x 0.6-1.2 mm, bases biauriculate, margins hyaline, long-ciliate along proximal half, especially along the inner margin, short-ciliate to denticulate distally, apices abruptly aristate, aristae 1/4 to 1/2 the lamina length, 0.3-0.8 mm long, both surfaces glabrous, upper surfaces with conspicuous idioblasts; axillary leaves lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, bases cordate; strobili lax and flattened, dorsiventral, 3-10 mm long; sporophylls dimorphic, the dorsal ones green, spreading, the ventral ones hyaline to pale green, ascending; megasporangia in two ventral rows; microsporangia in two dorsal rows; megaspores white, infrequently cream to brownish, granular-striate or striate-reticulate, with low to high reticulum, 330-356 µm diam.; microspores orange.

  • Discussion

    Lectotype (chosen here). Cultivated material at Horto Botanico Berolinensi, 1857, Braun s.n. (B!; isolectotypes B!, M!).

    Selaginella incurvata Baker, J. Bot. 21: 99. 1883. Type. Mexico. Veracruz: Liebmann s.n. (K; isotype frag. NY!). Selaginella miradorensis Hieron., Hedwigia 43: 30. 1904. Lectotype (chosen here). Mexico. San Luis Potosi´: Tamasopo Canyon, Pringle 3293 (B!; isolectotypes BM!, BR!, CAS!, DS!, K!, L!, M!, MICH!, NY!, P!, UC!, US!, W!).

    The very long, creeping stems, mostly oblong lateral leaves with broadly acute to rounded apices, median leaves each with a well developed outer auricle, and stout rhizophores 0.5–0.8 mm distinguish S. stenophylla from all other Mexican species.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial or epipetric in shaded, damp areas, on limestone slopes, and on mossy rocks; 150-1300 m. Mexico; Guat. Selected Specimens Examined. Chis (Ishiki et al. 2025, NY). Hgo (Wiggins 13336, DS). NL (Wright s.n., PH). Pue (Fro¨derstro¨m & Hulten 750, NY). Qro (Rzedowski 43867, NY). SLP (Pennell 17995, PH). Tam (Nee & Diggs 24511, NY). Ver (Purpus 128, PH).

    México Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America|