Selaginella qingchengshanensis Li Bing Zhang & X.M. Zhou, 2021

He, Meng, He, Zhao-Rong, Zhang, Li-Bing & Zhou, Xin-Mao, 2021, Selaginella qingchengshanensis (sect. Heterostachys; Selaginellaceae), a new species from Sichuan, China, Phytotaxa 522 (4), pp. 285-293 : 286-287

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.522.4.2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5565836

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C430543B-6D57-BC51-FF52-CBA99681F80C

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Selaginella qingchengshanensis Li Bing Zhang & X.M. Zhou
status

sp. nov.

Selaginella qingchengshanensis Li Bing Zhang & X.M. Zhou View in CoL , sp. nov.

Type:— CHINA. Sichuan: Dujiangyan City, Qingcheng Mountain, Qingchengshan Town , Wudongtian , elev. 960 m, 103.568461E, 30.907873N, 23 August 2020, in humid place in evergreen broadleaf forest, Z.- L Liang & X. Pu 085 (holotype PYU!) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis:— Selaginella qingchengshanensis is similar to S. amblyphylla Alston (1934: 287) in having plants creeping to suberect and the apex of dorsal leaves long aristate, but the new species has axillary leaves ovate-triangular to broadly ovate ( Fig. 1H View FIGURE 1 ; vs. ovatelanceolate or triangular-lanceolate in S. amblyphylla ), sterile leaf margins denticulate to slightly ciliolate at base ( Fig. 1G–I View FIGURE 1 ; vs. longciliate at base in S. amblyphylla ), and arista of dorsal leaves nearly perpendicular to stems and branches in living plants ( Fig. 1L View FIGURE 1 ; vs. parallel to stems and branches in S. amblyphylla ).

Plants terrestrial, creeping to suberect, 6–20 cm ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 , 3F View FIGURE 3 ). Rhizophores restricted to lower part of stem, born on ventral side in axils of main branches, glabrous, 0.5–4.5 cm long ( Fig. 3F View FIGURE 3 ). Main stems with one flat vascular bundle, stramineous, branched from near base, 2 to 3 times pinnately branched, branches many, ultimate branches 3.3–5.0 mm wide ( Fig. 3A–F View FIGURE 3 ). Leaves herbaceous. Ventral leaves on branches contiguous, slightly ascending, asymmetrical, those on main stems slightly larger than those on branches; oblong or oblong-ovate, 2.3–3.2 × 1.1–1.5 mm, apex obtuse to round; acroscopic base rounded, slightly enlarged, overlapping stem and branches, margin denticulate to slightly ciliolate; basiscopic base rounded, margin entire or minutely denticulate ( Fig. 1G View FIGURE 1 ; 3C, E View FIGURE 3 ). Dorsal leaves asymmetrical, those on main stems more sparse than those on branches, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 1.8–2.9 × 0.8–0.95 mm, slightly carinate, base round obliquely attenuate, apex aristate (arista as long as the leaves), reflexed, but perpendicular to axis in living plants, margin denticulate to slightly ciliolate ( Fig. 1I View FIGURE 1 , 3D View FIGURE 3 ). Axillary leaves symmetrical, those on main stem not obviously larger than those on branches, ovate-triangular or broadly ovate, 1.5–2.2 × 1.0– 1.65 mm, base exauriculate, margin denticulate to shortly ciliolate, apex obtuse or slightly acute ( Fig. 1H View FIGURE 1 , 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Strobili solitary, terminal, compact, dorsiventrally complanate, resupinate, 3.7–5.6 × 1.4–2.7 mm ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 , 3A–B View FIGURE 3 ); sporophylls dimorphic, not whitemargined; dorsal sporophylls ovate-lanceolate, with sporophyll-pteryx nearly complete and ciliolate, margin ciliolate, apex acute to acuminate ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ); ventral sporophylls ovate, carinate, margin denticulate to ciliolate, apex aristate ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 ); megasporophylls distributed at the base of strobili, not intersect with microsporophylls. Megaspores white, oblate spheroid to subglobose; prominent laesurae extend 2/3 of the distance to the equator; proximal surfaces densely papillate or verrucate; distal surfaces papillate, vermiculate, or verrucate, surfaces densely covered with fine spines ( Fig. 1M–O View FIGURE 1 ). Microspores yellowish orange, spherical tetrahedral; laesurae nearly extend to the equator; both proximal and laesurae surfaces with low fused tuberculate, densely covered with fine spines ( Fig. 1J–K View FIGURE 1 ).

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the type locality in Qingcheng Mountain, Sichuan Province, China. Chinese name: Ḧ城山卷柏 (qing cheng shan juan bai).

Distribution and habitat:— Known only from the type locality in Qingcheng Mountain, Dujiangyan City, Sichuan province, China, at 850–1050 m. This species grows in humid places in evergreen broadleaved forests. It is common on the roadside of tourist trails on Qingcheng Mountain.

Conservation status:— Selaginella qingchengshanensis is only known from Qingcheng Mountain, but it has relatively wide distribution there. We consider it to be Near Threatened (NT) based on the IUCN red list criterion ( IUCN 2017).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— CHINA. Sichuan Province: Qingcheng Mountain , X. - F. Ga o et al. DJY04053, DJY06425 ( CDBI); 23 August 2019, Z.- L. Liang & X. Pu 056, 078, 097 ( PYU) .

Z

Universität Zürich

L

Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden University branch

PYU

Yunnan University

F

Field Museum of Natural History, Botany Department

CDBI

Chengdu Institute of Biology

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