MS THE SELAGINELLA RUPESTRIS GROUP. 



as to have no common name. In general appearance it 

 is most like Selaginella Bigelovii\ but may be at once dis- 

 tinguished from that species by the fact that it is a pros- 

 trate plant rooting from all parts of the stem. 



In robust specimens the main stems may reach a 

 length of six inches or more, but they are usually shorter. 

 These stems are pinnately branched, the branches short 

 and rather numerous. From these brandies still smaller 

 branches, about a quarter of an inch long, arise, and 

 upon these are usually borne a pair of branchlets so 

 small as to be mere spurs, which, with the branch-tip, 

 form a figure suggestive of the conventional fleur-de-lis 

 design. All parts of the plant are covered with leaves, 

 those on the main stems being closely appressed, and 

 those on the branch-tips more spreading. The leaves 

 are rather broadly linear, acute or rounded at the apex, 

 with a suggestion of a terminal awn, and with few or no 

 marginal cilia. 



The spikes are short, and about twice the diameter of 

 the sterns, with the ovate-acute sporophylls in four ranks. 

 The megaspores are of a pale lemon colour, and the mi- 

 crospores dark orange. According to Mr. Eaton, who 

 described this species, the megaspores and microspores 

 are developed in separate spikes. 



Selaginella cinerascens is found on dry, bare hills in 

 southern California. For a time after it was described, 

 it was confused with another species called Selaginella 

 bryoides, described by Nuttall, and some of the earlier 

 references to it will be found under the latter name. 



'The Oregon Selaginella. 



One of the most remarkable of the selaginellas is the 

 Oregon selaginella (Selaginella Oregana] which, until it 



