| Home | > | List of families | > | Selaginellaceae | > | Selaginella | > | eublepharis |
| Synonyms: |
Selaginella vogelii sensu Baker |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Plants bluish-green from a robust, wide-creeping rhizome; erect stems 20–50 cm., branched and sparsely hairy beneath in the upper 1/2. Outline of branch-system broadly ovate to lanceolate, acute or rarely flagelliform at the apex; secondary branches broadly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate in outline dichotomising 2–6 times; ultimate branchlets 0.6–1.5 cm. long; the lowermost basiscopic tertiary branch conspicuously larger than the acroscopic one. Leaves heteromorphic; stem-leaves 2–3 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate in outline, apex gradually tapering to a sharp point, margins finely serrate, becoming ciliate at the cordate clasping base; median leaves similar, 3 mm. long, apex abruptly tapered into whitish seta 1/4 as long as leaf; lateral leaves (of secondary branches) 4 × 1 mm., linear with an acute apex or linear-lanceolate, adnate at the base, margin sinuous, sparsely toothed becoming ciliate towards the base. Strobili 1.0–1.5 cm., at tips of ultimate branches, maturing ± simultaneously, bearing sporangia at the base and towards the top; sporophylls of 1 kind, broadly ovate tapering to a setose apex, margins dentate becoming ciliate at the base. Megaspores of 2 sizes. |
| Notes: | Can be distinguished from other species by its erect habit, upper stems that are hairy below, branchlets that do not curl when dry and leaves that are concolorous. |
| Derivation of specific name: | eu: well, blepharis: bristle; referring to the setaceous median leaves and sporophylls. |
| Habitat: | Rocky ground amongst grasses in transition of forest-grassland zones. |
| Altitude range: | 300 - 800 m |
| Worldwide distribution: | Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania |
| Malawi distribution: | N |
| Growth form(s): | Lithophyte, terrestrial. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 81. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 15. As Selaginella eublepharis and S. vogelii Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 147 - 148. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 26. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 22. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 27. Verdcourt, B. (2005). Selaginellaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Page 10. |
| Home | > | List of families | > | Selaginellaceae | > | Selaginella | > | eublepharis |