Selaginella semicordata (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) Spring

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 semicordata (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) Spring Figs 3 (3 A–C), 9G , 20

Selaginella semicordata (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) Spring, Fl. Bras. 1(2): 122. 1840; Dixit 1992; Thapa 2002; Singh and Panigrahi 2005; Fraser-Jenkins et al. 2015; Fraser-Jenkins et al. 2017.

≡ Lycopodium semicordatum Wall. ex Hook. & Grev., Bot. Misc. 2: 396. 1831.

( Lycopodium semicordatum Wall., Cat. n. 126, p. p. 1821, nom. nud.).

≡ Lycopodioides semicordata (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 827. 1891. Type. (lectotype, designated by Fraser-Jenkins et al. 2017) INDIA. N. E. India, Meghalaya: montes Sylhet vicinae. M.R. S[mith]. [Wallich List no.] 126.3 (E; isolectotype: K–W).

( Selaginella burghallii R. Sim., Priced Cat. Ferns 6: 61. 1859, nom. nud.)

Description.

Stems to 150 cm, creeping, slender. Rhizophores at intervals throughout length of creeping stem and branches, on dorsal side in axils of stem branches. Stem slender, sulcate. Main stems, branched throughout, arise alternately from base of plant, branches short, pinnately, flabellate, distant located. Axillary leaves oblong-lanceolate, 2.1-2.6 × 1.3-1.8 mm, base rounded-cuneate, apex truncated; on branches, obovate, 1.3-2.0 × 0.6-0.9 mm. Ventral leaves oblong-lanceolate, 1.9-2.5 × 0.7-1.2 mm, rounded at base, acroscopic base slightly enlarged, not overlapping stem and branches, margin in apex part suberose, apex subobtuse to subacute. Dorsal leaves oblong, 1.5-1.8 × 0.5-0.7 mm, imbricate, in basal part oblique, margin entire to minutely denticulate at apex, apex shortly cuspidate. Strobili solitary, terminal, tetragonal, compact, 5.0-15 × 1.5-2.3 mm. Sporophylls monomorphic, 1.6-2 × 0.8-1 mm, ovate, keeled, margin entire, apex acute. Megaspores dark-brown, surface verrucate; microspores pale, surface exine with white, translucent wing-like perispore supported with hook-like structure.

Ecology.

Terrestrial, growing in paddy field or marshland or shady areas among the grasses with abundant water content. Restricted low altitude species of wet. Alt. 100-150 m.

Distribution in Nepal.

C, E.

Nepalese threatened status: EN ( Fraser-Jenkins et al. 2015).

General distribution.

BANGLADESH, INDIA (Assam State, Bihar, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, West Bengal), MYANMAR.

Chromosome number.

Not available data.

Selected specimens examined:

E Nepal: JHAPA: "Range Danda, common on shady banks, alt. 100 m, 24 Jan 2003, N. Thapa et al. 2016 " (KATH).

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 20. Selaginella semicordata (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) Spring. A Habit, lower surface B strobilus, lower surface C fragment of the lower surface of the lateral branches (Wallich n. 126. c, E). Link: (http: // data. rbge. org. uk / herb / E 00754776).