i04 THE CREEPING SELAGINELLA GROUP. 



as long as the body of the leaf. The fruiting-spikes are 

 short, with less triangular sporophylls. 



The plant has been collected in Mexico and was 

 found in the Chenate Mountains of Texas by Neally. 

 Owing to its being easily confused with Sclaginclla 

 lepidopliylla, but little is known about it, and even its 

 range cannot be properly defined. More notes concern- 

 ing it are very much needed. Both this species and the 

 preceding, when growing, have a strong resemblance to 

 the exotic selaginellas commonly cultivated, and, owing 

 to their manner of growth in circular tufts, are desirable 

 additions to the conservatory for their contrast to the 

 other species. 



Selaginella Pi lifer a. 



According to Baker's "Fern A\\\es" Selaginella pili- 

 fera has been collected in Texas by Wright, but no 

 recent collector has found it, and the opinion is held by 

 most American students that the plant does not now 

 occur within our limits. Its habitat is the plateau of 

 central Mexico, and it may possibly stray northward in 

 the Southwest. The following description should aid 

 collectors in identifying it should they find it. The 

 lateral leaves are ovate, oblique, very small, pale green, 

 rigid, and tipped with a short point. They are serrulate, 

 with the upper side of the base dilated and ciliated. 

 The upper leaves are half as long as the others, lanceo- 

 late, and also cuspidate. The spikes are square, less 

 than half an inch long, with ovate-lanceolate strongly 

 keeled sporophylls. From the foregoing it will be seen 

 that it is a plant much like Selaginella Pringlei, and col- 



