46 



SELAGINELLACEAE 



Family 8. SELAGINELLACEAE. 

 Selaginella Family. 

 Low, depressed or creeping, freely branched, leafy terrestrial plants, our species 

 of moss-like habit. Leaves very numerous, usually imbricate, either all nearly 

 alike, subulate to lanceolate, and arranged radially in many ranks, or of 2 kinds, 

 in 4 ranks, broader, and strongly dorso-ventral. Sporangia in terminal quadrangu- 

 lar sessile spikes of modified leaves (sporophylls ), axillary, the larger ones bear- 

 ing 1-4 large megaspores, the smaller ones very numerous, minute, reddish or 

 orange, powdery microspores. 



The family consists of the following genus: 



L SELAGINELLA Beauv. Prodr. Aethog. 101. 1805. 



Character of the family. [Name a diminutive of Selago, a classical name for some species 

 of Lycopodiiim.] 



A widely distributed genus of about 600 species, of which about Z7 occur in the United States. Type 

 species: Lycopodiiim selaginoides L. 



Leaves in 4 ranks, those of the 2 upper rows rhombic-ovate, of the 2 lateral rows oval-oblong, rounded-obtuse. 



1. S. dotiglasii. 

 Leaves arranged radially in many ranks, narrowly deltoid-subulate to lanceolate. 



Stems ascending or erect, rooting only at the base. 2. 6". bigeloi.'ii 



Stems creeping or pendent. 



Leaves lacking a terminal seta. 



Plants strongly dorso-ventral, all the divisions flattish; leaves of the lower side thin, lanceolate, 

 imbricate-spreading, those of the upper side smaller, rigid, deltoid-subulate, nearly vertical. 



3. 5". ereviophila. 



Plants slightly dorso-ventral, the divisions short, clavate; leaves all appressed-imbricate, herbaceous, 

 linear to broadly subulate. 4. 5". cinerascens. 



Leaves setigerous. 



Plants lax, usually long-pendent from tree; leaves bright green, wrinkled, lance-attenuate, long- 



decurrent (up to 1 mm.). 5. 5". oregana. 



Plants more rigid, terrestrial; leaves somewhat glaucous, not wrinkled, adnata at the base or short- 

 decurrent. 

 Branches somewhat dorso-ventral, the leaves of the under ranks largest, oljliquely imbricate. 

 Leaves broadly subulate, acute, often purplish with age; spikes 5-9 mm. long; sporophylls 



with 25-30 cilia. 6. 5". hanseni. 



Leaves linear to lance-subulate, obtuse at apex, not jiurplish with age; spikes 1-2.5 cm. 

 long; sporophylls with 8-15 cilia. 7. S. scopuloriim. 



Branches not at all dorso-ventral, the leaves uniform, equally ascending or appressed-imbricate 

 on all sides. 



Setae lutescent, smooth; cilia 2-7 on each side of the leaves, or wanting. 



8. 5". wafsovi. 



Setae white or whitish-hyaline, scabrous or serrulate; cilia 8-23 on each side of the leaves. 



Plants cushion-like; branches of the very short creeping stems erect, strongly cespitose, 



simple; setae milk-white. 9. 5". leucobryotdes. 



Plants forming loose mats; branches numerous, intricate or loosely cespitose, 1-2-pinnate; 



setae whitish-hyaline. 



Leaves oblong-linear, obtusish, subglaucous, closely appressed-imliricate; setae 0.15- 



0.6 mm. long; cilia 8-14 on each side, oblique. 10. 5'. wallacei. 



Leaves narrowly deltoid-subulate, strongly glaucous, rigidly ascending, subdistant; 

 setae 0.7-0.9 mm. long; cilia 16-23 on each side, spreading. 11. S. asprella. 



1. Selaginella douglasii (Hook. & Grev.) Spring. 

 Douglas' Selaginella. Fig. 99. 



Icon. Fil. 2: pi. 177. 1831, not 



Lvcopodiiim oz'alifolinnt Hook. & Grev 



Desv. 1813. 

 Lvcopodiuin douglasii Hook. &■ Grev. Bot. Misc. 2: 396. 

 Selaginella douglasii Spring, Mem. Acad. Brux. 24': 92. 



1832. 

 1850. 



Stems prostrate, wide-creeping, 15-35 cm. long, rooting 

 throughout ; main branches alternate, often elongate, rooting 

 or not, distant, with about 3-6 flat assurgent divisions, these 

 1-3-divided, leafy throughout. Lateral leaves distant, spread- 

 ing, concave above, yellowish green, oval-oblong, 2-3 mm. 

 long, 1-1.8 mm. broad rounded-obtuse, long-ciliate at the un- 

 equally auriculate base; leaves of the upper plane smaller, 

 intricate, narrowly rhombic-ovate, cuspidate. Spikes numer- 

 ous, sharply quadrangular. 5-15 mm. long; sporophylls 

 closely imbricate, cordate-ovate, acuminate, membranous, 

 sharply carinate. 



Moist, shady rocks and banks, Humid Transition Zone; British Co- 

 lumbia and northern Idaho to California. Type locality: Oregon or 

 Washington. 



