Selaginella peruviana

(J. Milde) Hieronymus

Hedwigia 39: 307–308. 1900.

Common names: Peruvian spike-moss
Illustrated
Basionym: Selaginella rupestris (Linnaeus) Spring forma peruviana J. Milde Fil. Eur., 263. 1867
Synonyms: Selaginella sheldonii Maxon
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Plants on rock or terrestrial, forming loose mats. Stems not readily fragmenting, prostrate, upperside and underside structurally different, irregularly forked, branches determinate, tips upturned. Rhizophores borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.23–0.33 mm diam. Leaves dimorphic, arranged in 8 ranks, tightly appressed, ascending, green; abaxial ridges present; apex with persistent, whitish, terete bristle 0.3–0.8 mm. Underside leaves narrowly linear-lanceolate (on central ranks) to falcate (on marginal ranks), 2.5–4 × 0.4–0.6 mm; base decurrent (oblique on marginal ranks), pubescent (sometimes glabrous); margins ciliate, cilia transparent to opaque, spreading at base, ascending toward apex, 0.1–0.15 mm. Upperside leaves linear-lanceolate (on central ranks) to falcate (on marginal ranks), 2.3–2.75 × 0.5–0.55 mm; base abruptly adnate, pubescent; margins ciliate, cilia transparent to opaque, ascending or spreading, 0.08–0.16 mm. Strobili solitary, 0.5–2 cm; sporophylls ovate-deltate to ovate, abaxial ridges not prominent, base glabrous, margins short-ciliate, apex bristled.


Habitat: Rocky slopes, rock crevices, ledges of sandstone or igneous cliffs, less often on sandy or clay soil
Elevation: 1300–2300 m

Distribution

V2 740-distribution-map.gif

N.Mex., Okla., Tex., Mexico, South America

Discussion

R. M. Tryon (1955) reported an elevation range of 600–3000 m for Selaginella peruviana in the United States.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number.

... more about "Selaginella peruviana"
bristled +
Iván A. Valdespino +
(J. Milde) Hieronymus +
glabrous +  and pubescent +
decurrent +
Selaginella rupestris +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
transparent +  and opaque +
0.008 cm0.08 mm <br />8.0e-5 m <br /> (0.016 cm0.16 mm <br />1.6e-4 m <br />) +
Peruvian spike-moss +
N.Mex. +, Okla. +, Tex. +, Mexico +  and South America +
1300–2300 m +
Rocky slopes, rock crevices, ledges of sandstone or igneous cliffs, less often on sandy or clay soil +
monomorphic +
fertile +  and vegetative +
linear-lanceolate;linear +
ciliate +  and serrate +
short-ciliate +  and ciliate +
globose +, ovoid +  and tetrahedral +
tetrahedral +
alternating +
0.023 cm0.23 mm <br />2.3e-4 m <br /> (0.033 cm0.33 mm <br />3.3e-4 m <br />) +
Illustrated +
adjacently +  and monomorphic +
fertile +  and vegetative +
branched +, not +  and articulate +
dimorphic +, climbing +  and cespitose +
decumbent;creeping;prostrate +
quadrangular +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Selaginella sheldonii +
Selaginella peruviana +
Selaginella subg. Tetragonostachys +
species +
branched +  and not articulate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br />) +
erect +  and creeping +
branched +  and not articulate +
0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br /> (0.275 cm2.75 mm <br />0.00275 m <br />) +
linear-lanceolate +  and falcate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.055 cm0.55 mm <br />5.5e-4 m <br />) +
erect +  and creeping +
differentiated +
perennial +  and annual +
epiphytic +  and hemiepiphytic +
12 +, 11 +, 10 +, 9 +, 8 +  and 7 +