THE SELAGINELLA RUPESTRIS GROUP. 147 



if branched, the branches may be considered essentially 

 like the main stems. Toward the apex the stems are 

 pinnate, with short, alternate branches, the lowest from 

 one to three inches long and increasing in length to the 

 summit. These lateral branches are branched in the 

 same way as the main stem, and their branches are again 

 divided, the ultimate branchlets rarely reaching the 

 length of half an inch. The leaves are narrowly linear, 

 slightly channelled down the back, with numerous cilia 

 on the margins and a short white awn at the apex. 

 They are small, numerous, and closely appressed to the 

 very slender branches. Those on the main branches are 

 usually light brown, the rest being dark green. The 

 fertile spikes are fairly plentiful and usually occupy the 

 places of lateral branchlets a short distance from the tips 

 of the branches. The cones are from a quarter to half 

 an inch long, and quadrangular, the sporophylls being 

 rather triangular, short, pointed at the apex, ciliated on 

 the margins, and slightly eared at the base. The fruit 

 may be found on the plant at all seasons of the year. 



Sclaginclla Bigeloini is found in southern California 

 only, but there it is not an uncommon species. It grows 

 in the foothills at altitudes up to about 3,000 feet, and 

 prefers half-shaded clay soil or the chinks of rocks. 

 Like many of the mosses and ferns in this region, its 

 chief period of growth is in the rainy or winter season. 

 At other times it becomes dry and brittle, but revives at 

 the next rainy season. 



Selaginella Cinerascens. 



Selaginella cinerasccns is another of the segregates of 

 Selaginella rupestris that has been described so recently 



