Selaginella mutica
Selaginella oregana
bluntleaf spikemoss
festoon spikemoss, Oregon selaginella, Oregon spike-moss
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.
radially symmetric, long-pendent, not readily fragmenting, irregularly forked, without budlike arrested branches, tips straight;
main stem indeterminate, lateral branches determinate, ascending, 1-forked.
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.
monomorphic, in alternate pseudowhorls of 4 (on main stem) and 3 (on lateral branches and secondary branches), loosely appressed, ascending, green, narrowly triangular-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 2–3.35 × 0.4–0.6 mm;
abaxial ridges prominent, often flanked by two bands of cells (several rows wide) with whitish papillae (only in S. oregana, better seen on dry leaves);
base cuneate and strongly decurrent on main stems and lateral branches or rounded and slightly decurrent to adnate on secondary branches, glabrous (seldom pubescent);
margins entire or with very short cilia or denticulate, cilia few, transparent, scattered, ascending to slightly spreading, dentiform toward apex, 0.02–0.04 mm;
apex slightly keeled, long-attenuate, short-bristled;
bristle (hard to distinguish from apex) transparent or greenish transparent to yellowish or brownish (in old leaves), smooth, sometimes breaking off, (0.07–)0.17–0.4 mm.
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.
often paired, 1–6 cm;
sporophylls lanceolate to narrowly ovate-lanceolate, abaxial ridges prominent, base glabrous, margins short-ciliate to denticulate (at middle), entire toward both base and apex, apex keeled to plane, short-bristled or merely long-attenuate.
borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.13–0.23 mm diam.
borne on upperside of stems, restricted to base of pendent stems, or borne throughout on terrestrial stems, 0.13–0.2 mm diam.
= 18.
Selaginella mutica
Selaginella oregana
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 oregana, one of the most distinct species in the flora, is easily distinguished by its usually long, epiphytic-pendent stems, slightly loose strobili, and curled branches (in dry specimens). In the flora, S. oregana is most closely related to S. underwoodii. It is sometimes confused with S. wallacei (see discussion), and it shares some characteristics with the Mexican species, S. extensa L. Underwood. In S. oregana, very often where a branch fork occurs, one of the branches is arrested (R. M. Tryon 1955). The strobili of S. oregana are among the longest in the flora, and they often show several novel features. Very often the apex of a strobilus undergoes a period of vegetative growth, thus becoming a vegetative shoot, and after an interval the apex reverts to the fertile condition, forming a strobilus again. In other cases, the strobilus forks, giving rise to two new strobili.
Of conservation concern.
(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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