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meadow spike-moss, sélaginelle apode

Peruvian spike-moss

Habit Plants terrestrial, forming loose or clustered mats. Plants on rock or terrestrial, forming loose mats.
Stems

prostrate to short-creeping, sparsely branched, branches mostly simple or 1-forked, flat, not articulate, glabrous.

not readily fragmenting, prostrate, upperside and underside structurally different, irregularly forked, branches determinate, tips upturned.

Leaves

delicate, papery.

dimorphic, arranged in 8 ranks, tightly appressed, ascending, green;

abaxial ridges present;

apex with persistent, whitish, terete bristle 0.3–0.8 mm.

Strobili

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, 0.5–2 cm;

sporophylls ovate-deltate to ovate, abaxial ridges not prominent, base glabrous, margins short-ciliate, apex bristled.

Rhizophores

axillary, throughout stem length or restricted to proximal 1/3 of stem, 0.05–0.1 mm diam.

borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.23–0.33 mm diam.

Lateral

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.

Median

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.

Underside

leaves narrowly linear-lanceolate (on central ranks) to falcate (on marginal ranks), 2.5–4 × 0.4–0.6 mm;

base decurrent (oblique on marginal ranks), pubescent (sometimes glabrous);

margins ciliate, cilia transparent to opaque, spreading at base, ascending toward apex, 0.1–0.15 mm.

Upperside

leaves linear-lanceolate (on central ranks) to falcate (on marginal ranks), 2.3–2.75 × 0.5–0.55 mm;

base abruptly adnate, pubescent;

margins ciliate, cilia transparent to opaque, ascending or spreading, 0.08–0.16 mm.

Selaginella apoda

Selaginella peruviana

Habitat Swamps, meadows, marshes, pastures, damp lawns, open woods, and stream banks, in basic to acidic soil Rocky slopes, rock crevices, ledges of sandstone or igneous cliffs, less often on sandy or clay soil
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 1300–2300 m (4300–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WV; Mexico in Chihuahua; s to Chiapas
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from FNA
NM; OK; TX; Mexico; South America
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Discussion

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.)

R. M. Tryon (1955) reported an elevation range of 600–3000 m for Selaginella peruviana in the United States.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Selaginellaceae > Selaginella > subg. Stachygynandrum Selaginellaceae > Selaginella > subg. Tetragonostachys
Sibling taxa
S. acanthonota, S. arenicola, S. arizonica, S. asprella, S. bigelovii, S. braunii, S. cinerascens, S. densa, S. douglasii, S. eatonii, S. eclipes, S. eremophila, S. hansenii, S. kraussiana, S. lepidophylla, S. leucobryoides, S. ludoviciana, S. mutica, S. oregana, S. peruviana, S. pilifera, S. rupestris, S. rupincola, S. scopulorum, S. selaginoides, S. sibirica, S. standleyi, S. tortipila, S. uncinata, S. underwoodii, S. utahensis, S. viridissima, S. wallacei, S. watsonii, S. weatherbiana, S. willdenowii, S. wrightii, S. ×neomexicana
S. acanthonota, S. apoda, S. arenicola, S. arizonica, S. asprella, S. bigelovii, S. braunii, S. cinerascens, S. densa, S. douglasii, S. eatonii, S. eclipes, S. eremophila, S. hansenii, S. kraussiana, S. lepidophylla, S. leucobryoides, S. ludoviciana, S. mutica, S. oregana, S. pilifera, S. rupestris, S. rupincola, S. scopulorum, S. selaginoides, S. sibirica, S. standleyi, S. tortipila, S. uncinata, S. underwoodii, S. utahensis, S. viridissima, S. wallacei, S. watsonii, S. weatherbiana, S. willdenowii, S. wrightii, S. ×neomexicana
Synonyms Lycopodium apodum, Diplostachyum apodum S. rupestris, S. sheldonii
Name authority (Linnaeus) C. Morren: in Martius et al., Fl. Bras. 1(2): 119. (1840) (J. Milde) Hieronymus: Hedwigia 39: 307–308. (1900)
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