Selaginella deflexa

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Selaginella deflexa
Selaginella deflexa 062024.jpg
Status TNC G1.svg
Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Lycophytes
Class: Lycopodiopsida
Order: Selaginellales
Family: Selaginellaceae
Genus: Selaginella
Species:
S. deflexa
Binomial name
Selaginella deflexa
Synonyms [2]

Lycopodioides deflexa(Brack.) Kuntze

Selaginella deflexa, commonly known as deflexed spikemoss, is a non-flowering species of plant in the spikemoss genus Selaginella and is in the subgenus of the same name. It is closely related to Selaginella selaginoides which is the only other member in its subgenus. [3] This subgenus is unique in that it lacks the rhizophores typically seen along the stems of other Selaginella species. It is endemic to Hawaii and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. [4] This plant gets its name from its reflexed leaves which point outwards.

Contents

Description

Selaginella deflexa is a small vascular plant that grows to 10–25 cm (4–10 in) in height. [5] It has needle-like leaves that bend downwards and exhibit a lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate shape. [4] Selaginella deflexa additionally have spiky, helical strobili in which the sporangia-bearing sporophylls are embedded.[ citation needed ] The plant tends to have a yellowish-green color, and its roots can be found attached to a swollen region of a long hypocotyl base.[ clarification needed ] [6]

Reproduction

Selaginella deflexa reproduces via spores. Selaginella deflexa is heterosporous and contains both megasporangia and microsporangia on each plant body. The sporangia are arranged within the helical strobili along the branching points of the plant. [7] The megasporangium has three lobes and can easily be identified along the reproductive stalks of the plant due to its globular appearance. Within each megasporangium there are four megaspores arranged tetrahedrally. [8] Selaginella deflexa megaspores are covered by irregularly arranged spines between 70-90 micrometers high that join to form larger, composite spines. [9] The microsporangia of S. deflexa plants are smooth and contain hundreds of microspores per structure. [8]

Distribution and habitat

Selaginella deflexa is endemic to Hawai'i. Excluding Lānaʻi, S. deflexa is found across all of the Hawaiian Islands; however, its appearance on Oʻahu is rare. [1] It typically grows within wetland bogs surrounded by moss, located between 1,050–1,500 m (3,440–4,920 ft) above sea level. [10]

References

  1. 1 2 "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  2. 1 2 "Selaginella deflexa Brack". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  3. ↑ Weststrand, Stina; Korall, Petra (December 2016). "A subgeneric classification of Selaginella (Selaginellaceae)". American Journal of Botany. 103 (12): 2160–2169. Bibcode:2016AmJB..103.2160W. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1600288 . ISSN   0002-9122. PMID   27999080.
  4. 1 2 "Selaginella deflexa Brack". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  5. ↑ Brackenridge, William D. (1854). United States Exploring Expedition. Botany. Cryptogamia. Filices, including Lycopodiaceae and Hydropterides. C. Sherman. p. 332. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  6. ↑ Karrfalt, Eric E. (1981). "The Comparative and Developmental Morphology of the Root System of Selaginella Selaginoides (l.) Link" . American Journal of Botany. 68 (2): 244–253. Bibcode:1981AmJB...68..244K. doi:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1981.tb12384.x. ISSN   1537-2197.
  7. ↑ Weststrand, Stina; Korall, Petra (2016). "Phylogeny of Selaginellaceae: There is value in morphology after all!". American Journal of Botany. 103 (12): 2136–2159. doi:10.3732/ajb.1600156. ISSN   1537-2197. PMID   27999082.
  8. 1 2 "Non-Flowering Plant Families, UH Botany". manoa.hawaii.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  9. ↑ Korall, Petra; and Taylor, Wilson A. (2006-03-01). "Megaspore morphology in the Selaginellaceae in a phylogenetic context: A study of the megaspore surface and wall structure using scanning electron microscopy". Grana. 45 (1): 22–60. Bibcode:2006Grana..45...22K. doi:10.1080/00173130500520453. ISSN   0017-3134.
  10. ↑ "Consortium of Pacific Herbaria - Selaginella deflexa". serv.biokic.asu.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
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