Home | > | List of families | > | Selaginellaceae | > | Selaginella | > | mittenii |
Synonyms: |
selaginella cooperi Baker Selaginella depressa sensu Sim Selaginella mackenii Baker Selaginella tectissima Baker Selaginella welwitschii Baker |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Plant creeping, moss-like, branched repeatedly, rooting for most of its length, flattened against the ground. Leaves dimorphic; lateral leaves ovate-elliptic in outline, spreading, 2 × 1.1 mm, base unequally cordate, apex pointed, margin minutely toothed, larger than median leaves; median leaves elliptic, pointed, up to 1.2 mm long. Leaves bright green, curl beneath the stem when dry. Strobili situated on the end of the branches, 4-8 mm long; sporophylls similar to the median leaves, in 4 lines. |
Notes: | Can be distinguished from Selaginella kraussiana which has bigger lateral leaves and a more springy habit (it does not lay appressed to the ground like S. mittenii). Confusion with Selaginella perpusilla is possible, but this is only known from the Lundi river bridge in southern Zimbabwe. The lateral leaves of S. perpusilla do not curl when dry. |
Derivation of specific name: | mittenii: named after W. Mitten, British bryologist |
Habitat: | In moist evergreen forest or deciduous woodland, along earth-or streambank or in rocky areas, in lee of boulders in grassland, exposed or deeply shaded. |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Sudan, Eswatini, South Africa |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
Growth form(s): | Lithophyte, terrestrial. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Sunday 29 July 2012 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Page 29. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 81. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 50. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 32. Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 94 - 95. (Includes a picture). 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. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 145 - 146. (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Page 33. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 10. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 27. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 25. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 26. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 16. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 80. |
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