Selaginella hansenii
Selaginella wrightii
Hansen's spike-moss
Wright's spike-moss
not readily fragmenting, prostrate, upperside and underside structurally different, irregularly forked, branches determinate, tips upturned.
not readily fragmenting, prostrate, upperside and underside structurally different, irregularly forked, branches determinate, tips upturned.
with underside leaves slightly longer and narrower than upperside leaves, otherwise monomorphic, not clearly ranked, tightly appressed, ascending, green or green with red spots, or reddish, linear-lanceolate (underside) to linear-triangular (upperside), (2–)3–4.5 × 0.5–0.6 mm;
abaxial ridges present;
base abruptly adnate, pubescent (sometimes glabrous);
margins ciliate, cilia white to white opaque, strongly appressed and ascending, 0.03–0.1 mm;
apex with bristle white to white-opaque, 0.5–1.4 mm (those on underside leaves sometimes 1/4–1/2 longer than those on upperside leaves).
dimorphic, arranged in 8 ranks, tightly appressed, ascending, green;
abaxial ridges absent;
apex with yellowish bristle 0.2–0.5 mm, becoming denticulate (by breaking off of bristle);
bristle usually more persistent in underside leaves.
solitary, 5–7 mm;
sporophylls ovate-deltate to ovate-triangular, abaxial ridges not prominent, base glabrous, margins short-ciliate, apex bristled.
solitary, (0.7–)1.5–2(–2.6) cm;
sporophylls lanceolate, abaxial ridges not prominent, base glabrous, margins ciliate, apex strongly tapering, bristle obscure.
borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.25–0.45 mm diam.
borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.25–0.37 mm diam.
leaves narrowly linear-lanceolate to falcate (on marginal ranks), 3.5–4.5(–5) X 0.55–0.7 mm;
base abruptly adnate or slightly decurrent, usually pubescent, sometimes glabrous;
margins ciliate, cilia transparent, spreading, 0.12–0.26 mm.
leaves linear-lanceolate, 3.3–3.85 × 0.6–0.75 mm;
base abruptly adnate, pubescent;
margins ciliate, cilia transparent, spreading, 0.12–0.26 mm.
Selaginella hansenii
Selaginella wrightii
Leaf dimorphism in Selaginella hansenii is only slightly and inconsistently expressed; the upperside leaves tend to be more lanceolate, short, and slightly thick, whereas the underside leaves tend to be more linear, longer, and thinner, but in some specimens the leaves are monomorphic. Red leaves are rare within Selaginella subg. Tetragonostachys, otherwise found in the flora only occasionally in S. rupestris. Such leaves are more common in S. steyermarkii Alston from southern Mexico and Guatemala and S. sartorii Hieronymus from Mexico.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of other species in the flora, Selaginella wrightii seems to be allied to S. hansenii. The structural differentiation of the stem, adjacently different leaves, and upturned branch tips align the two species to the series Eremophilae. Selaginella wrightii is a calciphile, according to R. M. Tryon (1955).
Of conservation concern.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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