Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.
Selaginellaceae
Species Description - Stems creeping or ascending to suberect, stramineous to greenish, 4-12 cm long, 0.3-0.6 mm diam., not articulate, not or infrequently flagelliform, stoloniferous or not, 2-3 times branched; rhizophores throughout or restricted to proximal 1/2 of stems, filiform, 0.1-0.2 mm diam.; leaves of two kinds (anisophyllous) throughout stem length; lateral leaves ovate to ovateoblong, 1.5-3.1 x 1-1.8 mm, bases rounded, acroscopic bases strongly overlapping stems, margins pale green, entire, apices acute, upper surfaces hispid near the basiscopic margins, without idioblasts, lower surfaces glabrous, with obscure idioblasts; median leaves ovate-lanceolate, 0.8-1.5 x 0.4-0.9 mm, bases rounded, margins hyaline, denticulate, apices acute to acuminate, the tips 1/4 or less the lamina length, 0.1-0.2 mm long, both surfaces glabrous, without idioblasts; axillary leaves ovatelanceolate, bases rounded, exauriculate, margins entire, apices acute; strobili lax and flattened, dorsiventral, (2-)4-15 mm long; sporophylls dimorphic, the dorsal ones green, spreading, the ventral ones hyaline to pale green, ascending; megasporangia in two ventral rows; microsporangia in two dorsal rows or absent; megaspores orange-buff or light to deep orange-yellow, frequently with a prominent equatorial flange, reticulate to corrugate-reticulate with moderately high ridges, 240-295 µm diam.; microspores orange.
Type. Colombia. Cauca: near Popaya´n, Lehmann 6968 (B!; isotype K, US!).
Selaginella anisoclada Alston ex Crabbe & Jermy, Fern Gaz. 11: 255. 1976. Type. Venezuala. Aragua: above Guamitas, Parque Nacional, Alston 5814 (BM!; isotype US!). Selaginella disticha Mickel & Beitel, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 46: 337. 1988. Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: Dist. Ixtla´n, 7 km S of Vista Hermosa, Mickel 6735 (NY!; isotype UC!).
This species has often been misinterpreted. Alston (1952), Fraile (in Davidse et al., 1995), and Stolze (1983) referred many of the specimens of S. popayanensis cited here to S. porphyrospora A. Braun, mostly because the lateral leaves are usually hispid on the upper surface near the basiscopic margin. Selaginella popayanensis is easily distinguished from S. porphyrospora by lacking “false veins” (idioblasts) on the lateral leaves, deep orange microspores, and acute lateral leaves. Selaginella popayanensis is closely related to a species group including S. moritziana var. moritziana, also found in the flora area, and S. cavifolia A. Braun and S. flacca Alston in South America.
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