Vol. 30, pp. 161-162 October 10, 1917 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



SELAGINELLA FUNIFORMIS, A NEW SPECIES IN THE 

 S. RUPESTRIS GROUP. 



BY G. P. VAN ESELTINE. 



Inasmuch as data concerning certain specimens that are in- 

 cluded in this species are desired for immediate publication, it 

 becomes necessary to publish a preliminary diagnosis. A more 

 complete discussion will follow in a later paper. 



Selaginella funiformis, new species. 



Plants erect, eespitose, rigid, up to 12 cm. in height; rhizophores 

 abundant at the base of shoots, sparse along the older portions of the 

 stem; stems (including leaves) up to 1.2 mm. thick, rigid, sparsely 

 branches at intervals of 7 to 10 mm.; primary branches few, 5 to 8 cm. 

 long, these bearing few secondary branches (up to 20 mm. long); ulti- 

 mate branchlets occurring throughout, up to 5 mm. long, simple, closely 

 ascending; leaves 8 to 12 ranked, very closely appressed, imbricate, in 

 the younger stages olive-green, in age becoming dull brown, thickish, 

 chartaceous, slightly concave above, convex beneath, narrowly sulcate 

 dorsal ly in a median line up to the acute apex, narrowly deltoid from a 

 short broadly obdeltoid base, 6 to 10 ciliate on the margins, occasionally 

 minutely 4 to 8 ciliate along the edges of the dorsal suture ; longest leaves 

 1.25 mm. long, 0.4 mm. wide at the base; cilia 0.03 to 0.06 mm. long; 

 setae white with a reddish base, scabrous, up to 1 mm. long; spikes 

 nearly quadrangular, up to 15 mm. long, 1 mm. thick; sporophylls 1.5 

 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide at the base, narrowly sulcate dorsally in a 

 median line up to the acute apex, auriculate, minutely 10 to 20 ciliate on 

 the margin, occasionally 4 to 8 ciliate on the edges of the dorsal suture 

 near the base; auricles broadly obdeltoid, ciliate; cilia more minute and 

 setae slightly shorter than on the stem leaves; megasporangia yellowish, 

 0.6 mm. in widest diameter; megaspores rugose on the commissural side, 

 nearly smooth on the opposite side, 0.3 mm. in diameter; microsporangia 

 0.6 mm. in widest diameter, reniform, orange or brownish; microspores 

 abundant, bright orange, 0.03 mm. in diameter. 



39— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 30. 1917. (161 ) 



