Selaginella schaffneri Hieron., Engler & Prantl
Descripción
Stems long-creeping, rooting at intervals of 10–15 cm, forming very loose mats, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., erect stems 5–8 cm tall produced at intervals of 1–3 cm, apices curling when dry, graytan, not articulate, not flagelliform, not stoloniferous, 2–3 times branched; leaves of two kinds (anisophyllous) on erect stems, monomorphic on arching stems, buff, coriaceous, tightly ap pressed to wiry, brownish stems that are often visible between the leaves, leaves on the erect portion grading to grayish green distally, spreading, tightly imbricate, neither stems nor leaf bases visible; lateral and median leaves similar in size, shape, and texture, ovate, 1–1.5 mm long, apices rounded or cuspidate, peltately attached, each with downward-pointing, erose auricle, margins otherwise entire, acroscopic margins thin, subscarious; axillary leaves oblanceolate, apices rounded to cuspidate, peltately attached, with ciliate to erose auricles; strobili quadrangular, 2–5 mm long; sporophylls monomorphic; megaspores white to cream, with low, unequal, sparingly anastomosing ridges; microspores orange to orange-tan, with heavy broad ridges.A
Forma de vida
Epipétrica, TerrestreA
Ejemplar revisado
Gro (Kenoyer 27, US). Jal (Pringle 2594, US, 15630, CAS, UC, US). Méx (Hinton 8858, DS, NY, UC, US). Mor (Matuda 26349, UC, US). Nay (Breedlove 45441, CAS; Pringle 2594, NY). SLP (Rzedowski 11370, NY).A
Distribución
México (país) EndémicoA
Elevación
1100 – 2100 mA
Ecología y Hábitat
On rocks.A
Tipo de vegetación
Selva mediana, Bosque de otro tipoA
Categoría IUCN
No incluidaB
Categoría NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010
No incluidaC
Discusión taxonómica
Selaginella schaffneri is distinguished by the peltate attachment of leaves and sporophylls, all of which have branched veins that occasionally anastomose. As pointed out by Wagner et al. (1982), leaves with complex venation are a radical departure from the usual condition (a single, unbranched vein) in the entire lycopod evolutionary line (including also Isoëtes). Unfortunately, because of the thick and opaque nature of the leaves, the complex veins are not visible unless the leaves are cleared and the vascular tissue stained.
The name S. saccharata has been mistakenly applied to plants of S. schaffneri, but that name is a synonym of S. delicatissima.
A
The name S. saccharata has been mistakenly applied to plants of S. schaffneri, but that name is a synonym of S. delicatissima.
A