Selaginella pallida Spring, 1843

Shalimov, Aleksandr Petrovich, Wu, Yu-Dong & Zhang, Xian-Chun, 2019, A taxonomic revision of the genus Selaginella (Selaginellaceae) from Nepal, PhytoKeys 133, pp. 1-76 : 1

Selaginella pallida Spring Figs 3 (1 A–C), 9E , 18

Selaginella pallida Spring, Bull. Acad. Roy. Bel. 10: 234. 1843; Iwatsuki 1988; Thapa 2002; Fraser-Jenkins et al. 2015; Fraser-Jenkins et al. 2017; Zhang 2018.

≡ Lycopodium pallidum Hook. & Grev., Bot. Misc. 2: 389. 1831, nom. illeg.

≡ Selaginella plumosa var. pallida (Spring) Baker, J. Bot. 21: 145. 1883. Type. (lectotype, designated by Fraser-Jenkins et al. 2017) NEPAL. Nepal, [The Hon. E. Gardner for] N. Wallich, [c. 1817], Herb. Rudge (BM).

= Lycopodium pallidum Beyr. ex Gaudich., Voy. Uranie, Bot. pt. 7: 285. 1828, nom. illeg.

= Lycopodium tenellum D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal.: 18 (1824), non (P. Beauv) Desv. ex Poir. (1814). Type. NEPAL. Nepalia, Wallich (?).

= Selaginella nepalensis Spring, Bull. Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles 10(1): 234. 1843; Dixit 1992. Type. NEPAL. Wallich (?).

= Selaginella bomiensis Ching & S.K. Wu, Fl. Xizang. 1: 25. 1983. Type. CHINA. Xizang, Bomi (Tungmai), in rupibus, alt. 2000 m., Y.T. Chang et al. 881 (holotype: PE).

Description.

Stems 30-50 cm, long creeping. Rhizophores at intervals throughout length of main stem, borne on ventral side in axils of branches. Main stems branched throughout, pinnately branched, 1.2-2.0 mm in diam. in lower part. Axillary leaves ovate, 1.2-1.5 × 0.6-0.8 mm, dilated at base, dentate-serrulate, margin entire or upper part subentire, apex acuminate. Ventral leaves ovate, 2.0-2.8 × 1.1-1.3 mm, basiscoic base ovate, margin slightly dentate, aroscopic base dilated at base, margin dentate-serrulate, apex acuminate. Dorsal leaves ovate, 1.6-2.1 × 1.0-1.2 mm, in base cordate, margin serrulate-denticulate, falcate, apex acuminate-aristate. Strobili solitary, terminal, compact, 5-12 × 1-2 mm. Sporophylls monomorphic, ovate, acuminate, margin denticulate, sub-pellucid, apex acuminate. Megaspores light yellow, surface verrucate; microspores red, surface smooth, with echinae.

Ecology.

Forming dense mats on vertical banks in shade. Alt. 500-2200 m.

Distribution in Nepal.

C, E.

Nepalese threatened status: not available data.

General distribution.

BHUTAN, CHINA (Xizang). INDIA (Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand).

Chromosome number.

x=10, 2n=c. 20 ( Fraser-Jenkins and Matsumoto 2015).

Selected specimens examined:

C Nepal: NUWAKOT: "Dhunche-Singum Compa, alt. c. 2200-3000 m, 18 Oct 1979, T. Nakaike 238 " (PE).

DHADING: "Rithey Pani (between Mugling and Pokhara), alt. c. 500 m, 27 Sep 1986, T. Nakaike 1948 " (PE 01622281);

KASKI: "Dhampus, Pokhara, alt. 1000-1500 m, 10 Nov 1988, T. Nakaike 3781 " (PE); Karanha, near Pokhara, alt. c. 900 m, 9 Nov 1988, T. Nakaike 3740 " (PE); "Pokhara, alt. 900 m, 18 Jun 1967, H. Kanai et al. 26128 " (KYO, photo).

TANAHUN: "Tanahun District, c. 6 km S of Damauli, E of Pokhara, W of Mugling and Anbu Khaireni, Rocks and forested slope below waterfall, next gorge, c. ½ km above Chowti Bara Temple gorge, 23 Mar 1997, C.R. Fraser-Jenkins 25327 (FN 1306)" (US, photo).

PALPA: "Bategora, between Butwal and Pokhara, alt. c. 700 m, 9 Nov 1988, T. Nakaike 3737 " (PE).

KATHMANDU: "Phulchoki, south of Kathmandu, on bank along path in shade, alt. c. 2200 m, alt. 2200-2700 m, 15 Jul 1972, H. Hara, K. Iwatsuki et al. 725556 " (KYO, photo); "Sundarijal-Mulkharka, alt. c. 1600 m, 4 Nov 1979. T. Nakaike 418 " (PE); "Gokarna Ban, alt. c. 1370 m, 12 Oct 1979, T. Nakaike 130 " (PE); "Tare Bhir, alt. c. 1400-1900 m, 4 Oct 1979, T. Nakaike 59 " (PE); "Jamachowk, alt. c. 1500 m, 1 Oct 1986, T. Nakaike 2169 " (PE); "Nagarjun, alt. c. 1400 m, 26 Aug 1986, T. Nakaike 1092 " (PE); "l.c. T. Nakaike 1124 " (PE); "l.c. T. Nakaike 1138" (PE); "Dakshin Kali, alt. c. 1500 m. 13 Sep 1986. T. Nakaike 1438 " (PE); "Chandragiri, alt. 1600-2000 m, 9 Oct 1986, T. Nakaike 2491 " (PE); "Gokarna Ban, Kathmandu, alt. c. 1350 m, 29 Oct 1988, T. Nakaike 3587 " (PE); "first forested damp stream gully above road, 6 km N from Pharping Bazar, N of Bansbari, 1 km S of Chalankhel, NE side of Neipane Dara (hill), on W side of Bagmati River, c. 10 km S of Kathmandu on road to Dakshin Kali temple, 20 Jul 1996, C.R. Fraser-Jenkins et al. 24100 (FN 78)" (US, photo).

BHAKTAPUR: "Changu Narayan, alt. 1400-1500 m, 22 Sep 1986, T. Nakaike 1801 " (PE); "Sankhu, alt. c. 1400 m, 24 Aug 1986, T. Nakaike 1061 " (PE 01622270); "Nagarkot, alt. c. 1800 m, 16 Sep 1986, T. Nakaike 1526 " (PE);

KAVREPALANCHOK: "Panauti, alt. c. 1400 m, 4 Oct 1986, T. Nakaike 2373 " (PE).

LALITPUR: "Phulchoki, south of Kathmandu, alt. 2200-2700 m, on bank along path in shade, alt. c. 2200 m, 15 Jul 1972, H. Hara et al. 725556 " (TI); "Godawari (1600)-Phulchauki (2500m), alt. 1600-2500 m, 26 Jun 1967, H. Hara et al. s.n." (TI, photo).

RAMECHAP: "Between Bhandar and Kenja, alt. 1700-2100 m, 7 Oct 1988, T. Nakaike 3166, 3167 " (PE);

DOLAKHA: "between Jiri and Sivalaya, alt. 1800-2000 m, 5 Oct 1988, T. Nakaike 3088 " (PE); "Between Sivalaya and Jiri, Dolakha, alt. 1800-2000 m, 24 Oct 1988, T. Nakaike 3526 " (PE).

E Nepal: BHOJPUR: "en route from Phedi to Sagangma, Along Irkhua khola, subtropical semievergreen forest zone, on the mossy rock, alt. 1160 m, 27 Jun 1978, H. Tabata et al. 10989 " (PE); Dingla 1000 m-Doban 800 m, on rather dry bank of part in shade, alt. 800-1000 m, 2 Jul 1972, H. Kanai et al. 725457 " (TI, photo; KYO, photo);

SANKHUWASABHA: "Tumulingtar-Khandbari, alt. 450-1150 m, 26 Jul 1977, H. Ohashi et al. 771532 " (TI, photo).

PANCHTAR: "Yatkin-Akasay-Batasay, 30 Nov 1963, H. Hara et al." (TI).

Figures

Figure 3. Morphological diversity of the leaves of Nepalese Sealginella species 1 A-C S. pallida (Nakaike 3740, PE) 2 A-C S. remotifolia (Nakaike 3522, PE) 3 A-C S. semicordata (Jenkins s. n., PE). A - Axillary leaves, B - Dorsal leaves, C - Ventral leaves. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 9. Diversity strobili of Nepalese Selaginella species A S. indica (Nakaike 1325, PE) B S. bryopteris (Tabata et al. 11989, PE) C S. fulcrata (Nakaike 1923, PE) D S. involvens (Zhang 345, PE) E S. pallida (Nakaike 3740, PE) F S. remotifolia (Nakaike 3522, PE) G S. semicordata (Jenkins s. n., PE) H S. helvetica (Zhang 0638, PE) I S. pallidissima (Zhang 2746, PE). Scale bars: 1 mm (A-G), 2 mm (F, H-I).

Figure 18. Selaginella pallida Spring. A (A 1) Habit, lower surface B habit, upper surface C strobilus, lower surface D fragment of the upper surface of the lateral branches E fragment of the lower surface of the lateral branches (T. Nakaike 1438, PE).