Selaginella limbata Alston

Species

Pteridophytes > Lycopodiales > Selaginellaceae > Selaginella

Characteristics

Plants terrestrial, seasonally green, long creeping, branches ascending, 50-100 cm or more. Rhizophores at intervals throughout length of main stem, borne on ventral side in axils of branches. Main stems branched throughout, stramineous, 0.4-1.4 mm in diam. in lower part, subquadrangular or angulate, sulcate, branches many, some primary lateral branches developing into long branch systems; primary leafy branches 2-5 pairs, 2 or 3 times forked, branchlets sparse, adjacent primary branches on creeping main stems 4-10 cm apart, leafy branches dorsiventrally flattened, ultimate branches 2.4-5.6 mm wide including leaves. All leaves entire and white-margined. Axillary leaves on main stems obviously larger than those on branches, suborbicular, base subcordate; axillary leaves on branches symmetrical, elliptic or broadly elliptic, 1.3-2.8 × 0.8-1.8 mm. Dorsal leaves asymmetrical; dorsal leaves on branches imbricate, overlapping at leaf apex, ovate-elliptic, 0.8-1.6 × 0.3-1 mm, not carinate, base uniauriculate at basiscopic side, apex long acuminate. Ventral leaves asymmetrical, those on main stem larger than those on branches; ventral leaves on branches approximate or contiguous, spreading, ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 1.5-3 × 0.8-1.6 mm, apex acute; basiscopic base slightly dilated; acroscopic base rounded, not overlapping stem and branches. Strobili solitary, terminal, compact, tetragonal, 5-12 × 1.8-3.3 mm; sporophylls uniform, white-margined, ovate, carinate, margin entire, apex acuminate; megasporophylls and microsporophylls at intervals or only 1 megasporophyll at base on lower side of strobilus, elsewhere microsporophylls or megasporophylls in middle on lower side; microsporangia cordate or transversely elliptic, relatively thick, marginal cells differentiated, longer; microspores pale yellow, megaspores dark brown, baculate.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality -
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.5 - 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 6-11

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Selaginella limbata world distribution map, present in China

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77186888-1
WFO ID wfo-0001221620
COL ID 4WBZB
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Selaginella limbata