Selaginella apoda
Selaginella tortipila
meadow spike-moss, sélaginelle apode
kinky-hair spike-moss, twistedhair spikemoss
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 ascending to decumbent, budlike branches throughout.
delicate, papery.
dimorphic, in alternate pseudowhorls of 5.
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, 4–6 mm;
sporophylls ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, abaxial ridges obvious, base glabrous, margins denticulate, apex keeled, long-bristled, bristle twisted.
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 rhizomatous stems or to lowermost base of aerial stems, 0.2–0.3 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 strongly appressed, overlapping, scalelike.
stem leaves tightly appressed, ascending, green, narrowly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, (2.5–)3–4.5 × 0.4–0.7 mm;
abaxial ridges inconspicuous or more visible from apex to middle of leaf;
base cuneate, decurrent, glabrous;
margins short-ciliate to denticulate or entire, cilia transparent, spreading, 0.02–0.06(–0.08) mm;
apex keeled (more so in dry leaves);
bristle transparent or yellowish to brownish near base, puberulent, twisted, persistent or falling off early, 1.2–1.7 mm (1/3–1/2 length of leaves).
Selaginella apoda
Selaginella tortipila
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 tortipila, a very distinct species, is probably without close relatives in the flora but may be distantly related to S. rupestris. The two irregularly forked branches are particularly unusual: the larger one forms the strobilus while the smaller becomes arrested and forms either a budlike branch or grows and divides again to form a vegetative shoot.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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