Selaginella vestiens Baker, 1883

Valdespino, Ivan A., Heringer, Gustavo, Salino, Alexandre, Goes-Neto, Luiz A. de Araujo & Ceballos, Jorge, 2015, Seven new species of Selaginella subg. Stachygynandrum (Selaginellaceae) from Brazil and new synonyms for the genus, PhytoKeys 50, pp. 61-99 : 82-83

Selaginella vestiens Baker, 1883

Selaginella vestiens Baker, J. Bot. 21: 97. 1883. - Selaginella cladostachya Baker, J. Bot. 21: 97. 1883. - Type. Brazil. Goiás: Morro de Canto Gallo, Burchell [7006] (holotype: K!; isotype: B p.p.!).

Selaginella erythrospora A. Silveira, Bol. Commiss. Geogr. Geol. Est. Minas Geraes 5: 126. 1898. - Type: Brasil, Minas Geraes [Gerais], in rupibus, locis arenosis in Serra do Linheiro prope urbem S. João d’ El Rei, Apr 1897, A. Silveira s.n., No. 2383 in herb. Com. Geog. et Geolog. Civitatis Minas Geraes (holotype: R! [as Hebarium Silveira No. 156]; isotypes: B!, BM! [as Hebarium Silveira No. 156]).

Selaginella fragillima A. Silveira, Bol. Commiss. Geogr. Geol. Est. Minas Geraes 5: 127. 1898. - Type: Brasil, Minas Geraes [Gerais], in umbrosis sub rupibus in Serra de S. José d’ El Rei prope Aguas Santas, Mar 1898, A. Silveira s.n., No. 2622 in herb. Com. Geog. et Geolog. Civitatis Minas Geraes (holotype: R! [as Hebarium Silveira No. 149]; isotypes: B!, P-image!). Syn. nov.

Selected specimens examined.

BRAZIL. Goiás: same as type coll. Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 9 Jul 1932, Brade 11881 (R); Biribyri, Mar 1892, Schwacke 8028 (RB); Campos de S. Sebastião, Ouro Preto, Jun 1907, Damazio 1882 (B-2 sheets, P-image, RB); Catas Altas, RPPN do Caraçá, 20°05'28"S, 43°29'00"W, 1500 m, 1 Jun 2008, Hirai et al. 563 (NY, PMA, UC); Christias, near Corriga dois Puntes, Diamantiha [Diamantina], Mexia 5832 (BM, CAS, GH, MICH, MO, S, U); Matta, Jun 1934, Brade 13962 (RB); km 138, Estrada Pilar, Serra do Cipó, 15 Apr 1935, Barreto 581 & Brade 144404 (RB); Santa do Riacho, Serra do Cipó, km 125 da Rodovia Belo Horizonte-Conceicão do Mato Dentro, 1320-1370 m, 29 Jun 1991, Pirani et al. CFSC12385 (NY); Serra do Cipó, Jun 1908, Damaizo s. n. (RB); Serra de Ouro Preto, Ule s. n. (B); Serra do Rio Grande, 1260 m, Diamantiha [Diamantina], Mexia 5799a (CAS, GH, MO, NY, UC); Serra do Espinhaço, ca. 18 km E. of Diamantina, Diamantina, 1050 m, 20 Mar 1970, Irwin et al. 27953 (NY), slopes of Serra da Piedade, ca. 35 km E of Belo Horizonte, near BR-31, 1800 m, 18 Jan 1971, Irwin et al. 28699 (NY); Without specific locality, Schwacke s. n. (B).

Discussion.

Selaginella vestiens belongs to subg. Stachygynandrum and is characterized by its erect habit, stoloniferous stems, leaves seemingly monomorphic below first branch, and median leaves acuminate to aristate, ciliate, and broadly hyaline. Selaginella fragillima was a poorly known taxon that Alston et al. (1981) maintained as a distinct species. Our examination of type material of Selaginella fragillima causes us to conclude that it is conspecific with Selaginella vestiens , under which it is synonymized here. See comparison of Selaginella vestiens with Selaginella sematophylla under the latter.

Alston et al. (1981) cited Ule 7298 (B!, BM!) from Bahia and Glaziou 11723 (BM!, P-image!, US!) from Rio de Janeiro as Selaginella vestiens . Ule 7298 is here assigned to Selaginella blepharodella , while Glaziou 11723 morphologically does not fit Selaginella vestiens ; therefore, we exclude Bahia and Rio de Janeiro from the range of the latter species. Specimens of Selaginella vestiens here cited and those cited by Heringer (2011) are either from Goiás (i.e., type collection) or from Minas Gerais in Brazil.