毛边卷柏 mao bian juan bai

Plants terrestrial or epilithic, evergreen, prostrate, up to 15 cm. Rhizophores at intervals throughout length of main stem, borne on ventral side in axils of branches. Main stems branched throughout, stramineous, ca. 0.2 mm in diam. in lower part, flattened, sulcate; primary leafy branches 3 or 4 pairs, forked or once pinnately branched, branchlets sparse, adjacent primary branches on main stem 1-3.5 cm apart; leafy portion of main stem including leaves 4-4.8 mm wide at middle, ultimate branches 3.5-4 mm wide including leaves. Axillary leaves on branches symmetrical or asymmetrical, elliptic, 1.2-1.4 × 0.6-0.8 mm, base exauriculate, margin sparsely ciliolate. Dorsal leaves ± symmetrical or asymmetrical, those on main stems not obviously larger than those on branches; dorsal leaves on branches not approximate or contiguous, broadly ovate or suborbicular, 0.8-1.2 × 0.5-0.7 mm, slightly carinate, base obtuse or obliquely cordate, margin sparsely long ciliolate, apex aristate. Ventral leaves asymmetrical, those on main stem not obviously larger than those on branches; ventral leaves on branches spreading or deflexed, oblong-ovate or oblong, 2-2.3 × 1-1.3 mm, apex acute or apiculate; basiscopic base rounded, margin entire; acroscopic base enlarged, broader, overlapping stem and branches, margin long ciliolate in basal half, cilia 2-3 mm. Strobili solitary, terminal, compact, dorsiventrally complanate, 2-5 × 2-2.6 mm; sporophylls dimorphic, resupinate, not obviously white-margined; dorsal sporophylls ovate-lanceolate, carinate, margin ciliolate, apex acuminate, with sporophyll-pteryx incomplete and ciliolate; ventral sporophylls ovate, carinate, margin ciliolate; megasporophylls in basal portion on lower side of strobilus; microsporangia elliptic, relatively thick, cells uniform; microspores yellowish orange or pale yellow, verrucate, megaspores orange.

● Limestone caves, dense forests, on wet moss-covered limestone rocks; 900-1100 m. Guangxi, Guizhou.

Selaginella chaetoloma is a poorly known tiny species only known from the limestone areas of SE Guizhou and N Guangxi, and it differs from other small species by the broadly ovate dorsal leaves.