Selaginella minima Spring

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.

  • Family

    Selaginellaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Selaginella minima Spring

  • Description

    Species Description - Stems ascending to suberect, stramineous to green, 1 -9 cm long, 0.2-0.5(-0.8) mm diam., not articulate, not flagelliform, not stoloniferous, 1-3 times branched; rhizophores restricted to proximal 1/2 of stems, filiform, 0.1-0.2 mm diam.; leaves of two kinds (anisophyllous) throughout stem length, frequently with sparse short hairs or glabrescent, without idioblasts; lateral leaves ovate to broadly ovate, 1.5-1.9 x 0.8-1.1 mm, bases rounded, the acroscopic bases strongly overlapping stems, margins hyaline or greenish, acroscopically long-ciliate to denticulate distally, basiscopically entire to denticulate, apices acute; median leaves ovate, 1-1.3 x 0.45-0.7(-0.8) mm, inner bases truncate, outer bases oblique, margins conspicuously hyaline, denticulate, or the outer margins short-ciliate proximally and denticulate distally and the inner margins denticulate, apices acute to longacuminate; axillary leaves similar to lateral leaves, except for longciliate margins along the proximal 1/4-1/2, exauriculate; strobili lax, flattened, dorsiventral, 2-5(-12) mm long; sporophylls dimorphic, the dorsal ones green, spreading, the ventral ones pale green to hyaline, ascending to spreading; megasporangia in two ventral rows or sometimes mixed in one of these rows with microsporangia; microsporangia usually in two dorsal rows, sometimes mixed with megasporangia in a ventral row; megaspores snow-white, with a slightly developed equatorial flange, rugulate, reticulate, 270-350 µm diam.; microspores tan, verruculose with small points, 45-50 µm diam.

  • Discussion

    Lectotype (chosen here). French Guiana. Leprieur s.n. (LG!; isolectotype P!)

    Selaginella cruegeri Jenman, Gard. Chron. III, 22: 378. 1897 [“crugerii”]. Type. Trinidad. St. George Co.: Arouca [?], 15 Dec 1851, Herb. Trin. No. 194 (TRIN!; isotypes B!, US!).

    Selaginella tropidophora Mickel & Beitel, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 46: 354. 1988. Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: Distrito Tuxtepec, 1-3 km S of Usila, Mickel 7392 (NY!). The collection data of the holotype were cited incorrectly by Mickel and Beitel (1988), being those of the paratype, Mickel 4204 (NY).

    Because of its small size, S. minima has been very often confused with S. simplex (Valdespino, 1993). See discussion under S. simplex) for differences.

  • Distribution

    Terrestrial on dry and open wooded slopes, on clay banks in savannas and on shaded stream banks; 300 m. Mexico; Hond, Nic, Pan; Ven, Trin, Fr Gui, Braz, Bol. Specimens Examined. Oax (Mickel 4204, NY, UC; Tryon & Tryon 7389, 7389a, GH).

    Mexico North America| Honduras Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Panama Central America| Venezuela South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Bolivia South America|