Selaginella mutica
Selaginella douglasii
bluntleaf spikemoss
Douglas selaginella, Douglas' spike-moss, Douglas' spikemoss clubmoss, lesser clubmoss
radially symmetric, long- to short-creeping, not readily fragmenting, ± regularly forked, without budlike arrested branches, tips straight;
main stem indeterminate, lateral branches determinate, 1–2-forked.
long-creeping, branched, branches 2–3-forked, flat, not articulate, glabrous.
monomorphic, in ± alternate pseudowhorls of 3, tightly appressed, ascending, green, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate or lanceolate-elliptic, 1–2 × 0.45–0.6 mm;
abaxial ridges well defined;
base rounded and adnate, sometimes slightly decurrent, pubescent or glabrous;
margins ciliate to denticulate, cilia transparent, spreading or ascending, 0.03–0.17 mm;
apex keeled, obtuse or slightly attenuate, nearly truncate in profile, blunt to short-bristled;
bristle transparent to greenish transparent or whitish, smooth, 0.06–0.45 mm.
delicate and papery.
solitary, (0.6–)1–3 cm;
sporophylls ovate-lanceolate, ovate-elliptic, or deltate-ovate, abaxial ridges well defined, base glabrous, margins ciliate to denticulate, apex strongly to slightly keeled, short-bristled to blunt.
paired, 0.6–1.1 cm;
sporophylls monomorphic, ovate-lanceolate, keeled, keel not dentate, base glabrous, margins green, entire or with a few scattered, short cilia, apex acute to acuminate.
borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.13–0.23 mm diam.
borne on underside of stems throughout stem length or restricted to proximal ± 2/3 of main stem or axillary throughout stem, 0.2–0.4 mm diam.
leaves spreading or slightly ascending, distant, shiny green becoming shiny brown, with orange or red spot or entirely reddish, ovate to ovate-oblong or oblong, 1.5–3.2 X (1–)1.5–2.2 mm;
base auriculate, basiscopic auricle conspicuous, acroscopic auricle inconspicuous or base ± rounded;
margins green, ciliate toward auricles, otherwise entire;
apex rounded to obtuse or truncate.
leaves ovate-oblong, (1.8–)2–2.2 × 1–1.3 mm;
base auriculate, outer auricle larger than inner one;
margins green, ciliate at auricles, otherwise entire;
apex abruptly cuspidate to bristled.
= 18.
Selaginella mutica
Selaginella douglasii
Selaginella mutica, S. underwoodii (R. M. Tryon 1955; C. A. Weatherby 1943), and S. wallacei all have similar patterns of variation. Study is needed to assess to what degree such variability is caused by environmental or genetic factors. Within S. mutica, two rather distinct, morphologic extremes are recognized here as varieties. Many specimens having leaves with spreading, long, marginal cilia and a short, broken, apical bristle have been considered intermediate between the two varieties, but they belong in S. mutica var. mutica.
Selaginella mutica may be one of the parent species of the putative hybrid species S. × neomexicana (see discussion). Selaginella mutica is often found growing in the same habitat with S. underwoodii, S. × neomexicana, and S. weatherbiana. According to R. M. Tryon (1955), where the two grow together, S. mutica mats gradually entirely replace mats of S. underwoodii over time. Selaginella mutica is sometimes confused with S. viridissima.
Varieties 2.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Selaginella douglasii, with no close relatives in the flora, is easy to identify by its shiny green leaves when young, turning shiny light brown when old, with an orange to red spot at the base, or totally reddish. Its closest relative is the Mexican S. delicatissima Linden ex A. Braun.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Margins of sporophylls usually long-ciliate, seldom denticulate, cilia spreading; apex of leaves with or without bristle, 0.03–0.06 mm; leaf margins long- ciliate, rarely denticulate, cilia spreading. | var. mutica |
1. Margins of sporophylls mostly very short-ciliate to denticulate, cilia and teeth ascending; apex of leaves with bristle 0.2–0.45 mm; leaf margins short-ciliate to denticulate, cilia and teeth ascending. | var. limitanea |
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