THE CREEPING SELAGINELLA GROUP. 163 



upper surface are nearly as long and scarcely differ in 

 shape. The lateral leaves are ascending, but the upper 

 rows are nearly parallel with the branchlets that bear 

 them. Both kinds are closely imbricated, and are likely 

 to be faintly white-margined. The fruiting-spikes are 

 borne on the end of the branchlets. They are square, 

 half an inch or less long, with triangular sporophylls 

 strongly keeled on the back. In old plants the leaves 

 turn a reddish-brown on the under surface. 



In recent years a considerable trade in this plant has 

 sprung up, the large dealers ordering in lots of ten 

 thousand or more. They are sold mostly to collectors 

 of curios. Mr. J. H. Ferriss tells me that in the yards 

 of settlers at the mouth of the Pecos River in Texas he 

 has seen waggon-loads of this plant drying, preparatory 

 to being shipped to Eastern dealers. 



Selaginella IcpidopJiylla is found in Arizona, New 

 Mexico, and Texas in suitable situations. Though not 

 widely distributed within our limits it is a very common 

 species, and its range extends southward across the 

 tropics to Peru. It is often called " bird's-nest moss," 

 in allusion to the way the fronds roll up when dry. It 

 is, however, most widely known as the resurrection 

 plant. 



Selaginella Pringlei. 



This species, named for the veteran collector, C. G. 

 Pringle, resembles Selaginella lepidopJiylla very much, 

 spreading out in similar green rosettes in moist weather 

 and rolling up when dry. The leaves are of the same 

 size, but more pointed, and are further distinguished by 

 being tipped with a hard, whitish, awn-like point nearly 



