Selaginella deltoides A. Braun

Valdespino, Ivan A., 2015, Novelties in Selaginella (Selaginellaceae - Lycopodiophyta), with emphasis on Brazilian species, PhytoKeys 57, pp. 93-133 : 108-109

Selaginella deltoides A. Braun

Selaginella deltoides A. Braun, Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. ser. 5, 3: 287. 1865. - Syntypes. Brazil. [Amazonas:] prope Panuré, ad Rio Uaupès, R. Spruce 2532 (B! [B 20 0130962], B! [B 20 0095165 (b)], BM! [BM000905710], BR! [BR00000696525], CGE-n.v., GH! [GH00057068], K! [K000589188], NY-fragment! [NY00022868], OXF!, P! [P00559331], P [P00573927]-image!, RB! [RB 168990], W!); R. Spruce 2535 (BM!, K!, P [P01244267]-image!, P! [P04026284]).

Selaginella trifurcata Baker, J. Bot. 21: 98. 1883. - Type: Brazil. [Amazonas:] Panuré, on the Rio Uaupès, R. Spruce 2532 (holotype: K! [K000589188]; isotypes: B! [B 20 0095165 (b)], BM! [BM000905710], BR! [BR00000696525], CGE-n.v., GH! [GH00057067], NY-fragment! [NY00022868], OXF!, P! [P00559331], P! [P00573927]-image!, RB! [RB 168990], W!).

Additional specimens examined.

BRAZIL. Amazonas: Jutica, 14 Nov 1928, Luetzelburg 23710 (M, R), [ Uaupés?], 16 Nov 1928, Luetzelburg 23731 (M, R), 14 Nov 1928, Luetzelburg 23735 (R).

Discussion.

Selaginella deltoides is a much-confused species. Alston (1936) synonymized it under Selaginella dendricola Jenman. Reed (1965-1966) treated Selaginella deltoides as a valid species and, apparently, subsumed Selaginella trifurcata under it. Later, Alston et al. (1981) synonymized Selaginella deltoides and Selaginella trifurcata under Selaginella muscosa . Valdespino (1995) considered Selaginella deltoides and Selaginella trifurcata as conspecific but not the same species as, or closely related to, Selaginella muscosa . In Alston et al. (1981: 298) a possible inadvertent lectotypification for Selaginella deltoides and Selaginella trifurcata , in the sense outlined by Prado et al. (2015), could be inferred. Furthermore, specimens of Spruce 2535 at BR! and RB! [RB 168977] are mixed collections which I have determined as: a = Selaginella dendricola and b = Selaginella calceolata Jermy & Rankin, while the same collection at G! and P! [P04026284] is Selaginella dendricola . Another duplicate of Spruce 2535 at P ([P01244267]-image!) was also determined by Cremers as Selaginella dendricola . These nomenclatural and taxonomic matters will be further discussed in a separate paper (see comment about this under Selaginella glazioviana ).

Selaginella deltoides is characterized by its ovate-deltate lateral leaves, with midribs conspicuously hyaline and upper surfaces hispidulous with prickle- or tooth-like projections usually found submarginally, marginally, and apically along the basiscopic halves of the laminae, and median leaves orbiculate or broadly ovate-elliptic. Selaginella deltoides , along with a species currently being described with the epithet of " aculeatifolia " (Venezuela), Selaginella brevifolia (Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil), and Selaginella sandwithii Alston (Guyana and French Guiana) form a closely related group of taxa referred as the " Selaginella deltoides group" ( Valdespino in press).