Selaginella apoda
Selaginella bigelovii
meadow spike-moss, sélaginelle apode
Bigelow's moss fern, Bigelow's spike-moss, bushy spike-moss
prostrate to short-creeping, sparsely branched, branches mostly simple or 1-forked, flat, not articulate, glabrous.
radially symmetric, underground (rhizomatous) and aerial, not readily fragmenting, irregularly forked; rhizomatous and aerial stems often with 1 branch arrested, budlike, tips straight;
aerial stems erect or occasionally ascending.
delicate, papery.
dimorphic, not clearly ranked.
paired or solitary, lax, flattened, 1–2 cm;
sporophylls ovate to ovate-deltate, strongly keeled, keel dentate, base slightly cordate to rounded, margins with scattered teeth, apex acuminate;
megasporophylls larger and wider than microsporophylls, usually on underside of strobili.
solitary, (0.4–)1–1.5 cm;
sporophylls ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, abaxial ridges not prominent, base glabrous, margins short-ciliate to denticulate, apex bristled.
axillary, throughout stem length or restricted to proximal 1/3 of stem, 0.05–0.1 mm diam.
borne on upperside of stems, restricted to rhizomes and lower 1/3 of aerial stems, 0.3–0.4 mm diam.
leaves distant, green, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.35–2.25 × 0.75–1.35 mm;
base slightly cordate;
margins green or with 1 row of transparent cells, serrate;
apex acute, ending in teeth.
leaves ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.6 × 0.45–0.7 mm;
base oblique on inner side, rounded and prominent on outer side;
margins green or with row of transparent cells, serrate;
apex straight, acuminate to long-acuminate.
stem leaves persistent, tightly appressed, scalelike.
stem leaves appressed, ascending, green, linear-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 2.2–3.8 × 0.29–0.4(–0.75) mm;
abaxial ridges present;
base abruptly adnate, cordate to almost peltate, pubescent or sometimes glabrous;
margins short-ciliate at base, denticulate toward apex, cilia white to transparent or greenish, spreading at base, ascending toward apex, 0.02–0.08 mm;
apex keeled, bristled;
bristle puberulent, rough, transparent to whitish, 0.23–0.75 mm.
= 18.
Selaginella apoda
Selaginella bigelovii
Selaginella apoda is the central component of a taxonomically difficult species complex of eastern North America. It is closely related to S. eclipes (see discussion) and S. ludoviciana. Naturally occurring and experimental hybrids between S. apoda and S. ludoviciana have been reported (P. Somers and W. R. Buck 1975; T. R. Webster 1990). Also, some evidence indicates that hybrids may occur between S. apoda and S. eclipes. More studies are needed in this complex.
The species in the S. apoda complex may be best classified under subg. Homostachys of J. G. Baker (1883, 1887), with which they share flattened strobili and larger sporophylls (megasporophylls) that are usually in the same plane as the vegetative lateral leaves. They are, however, treated here with the other heterophyllous species of subg. Stachygynandrum until a reassessment of the classification of the genus Selaginella can be made.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Selaginella bigelovii is a member of the series Arenicolae (R. M. Tryon 1955) and is closely related to S. rupincola (see discussion). It may be confused with S. × neomexicana. Selaginella bigelovii, however, always has well-developed megasporangia with most of the megaspores and microspores well formed, whereas S. × neomexicana is a presumed sterile hybrid that does not form megaspores, seldom forms microspores, and usually has most sporangia misshapen (R. M. Tryon 1955). Moreover, S. × neomexicana has not been reported from either California or Baja California.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Go Botany
IL Wildflowers
LA Plants
MD Biodiversity
MO Plants
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CA
