Selaginella apoda
Selaginella ×neomexicana
meadow spike-moss, sélaginelle apode
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; rhizomatous stems sometimes difficult to distinguish, without obvious living budlike branches;
aerial stems erect to ascending, budlike branches mostly restricted to stem base (more conspicuous in ascending stems).
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, (0.5–)1–3 cm;
sporophylls ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, abaxial ridges prominent, base glabrous, margins denticulate, apex keeled, short-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 lower 1/2 on erect stems or throughout stem length on ascending 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 deciduous or persistent on base of emergent aerial stem, abruptly adnate, pubescent.
stem leaves appressed, ascending, green, linear-lanceolate, 1.9–2.7 × 0.36–0.46 mm;
abaxial ridges present;
base abruptly adnate, rounded, pubescent;
margins long-ciliate, cilia white, whitish to transparent or opaque, long and spreading at base, short to dentiform and ascending toward apex, 0.06–0.17 mm;
apex keeled;
bristle whitish to white, greenish to yellowish opaque, slightly puberulent, 0.3–0.46 mm.
Selaginella apoda
Selaginella ×neomexicana
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 × neomexicana is treated here as a hybrid, following R. M. Tryon (1955). Plants of this hybrid lack megaspores and megasporangia and have misshapen microsporangia. Several hypotheses for its origin have been advanced. It is clearly allied to S. rupincola, with which it shares white, long, spreading, marginal cilia on the leaves, hairs sometimes running along the ridges of the abaxial groove of the leaf, obscure rhizomatous underground stems, and buds mostly restricted to the base of aerial stems. Tryon (1955) suggested that the two presumed parents were S. rupincola and S. mutica, because S. × neomexicana has been found growing with S. mutica (usually var. limitanea). The usually strongly keeled apex in S. × neomexicana is a feature of S. mutica, and the range of S. × neomexicana is within the range of the two presumed parents. Selaginella underwoodii might conceivably be the second parent instead; its range overlaps the ranges of the putative hybrid and S. rupincola. It is possible that S. × neomexicana may represent an asexual race of S. rupincola. More detailed studies are necessary to determine the reproductive biology and cytology of this presumed hybrid and to assess its relationships.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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