A record for Selaginella eclipes (Selaginellaceae) in Massachusetts

3 Pages·2003·1.1 MB·English

by  A Haines

RHODORA.
Vol. 105, No. 922, 189-191, 2003
pp.
NEW
ENGLAND NOTE
A RECORD
FOR
SELAGINELLA ECLIPES (SELAGINELLACEAE)
MASSACHUSETTS
IN
Arthur
Haines
ME
441 Dead River Road, Bowdoin, 04287
e-mail: arthurhaines(a)gwi.net
The apoda Mart
Selaginella Spring
(L.) in
The number
and
varied
taxonomy and Lucans
has
roup—
—
W.
R. Buck examination
after
vanous
ornamentation
Due
characteristics and morphology of the upper leaf rank. to the lack of
from
obvious and straightforward characteristics to separate S. eclipes
subsume
apoda, some regional manuals have chosen to the
5. floristic
(Magee and Ahles
former species 1999).
in the latter
Skoda reduced Selaginella eclipes to a subspecies of S. apoda,
(1997)
under the name apoda subsp. eclipes (W. R. Buck) Skoda. This
S.
change was based on apparent lack of characters separating
rank the
in
two Skoda made new combination as part of a review of
the species. the
North America North Mexico. In
the second volume of the Flora of of
volume, Valdespino (1993) used
the Selaginella contribution in this
key separated
only vegetative characters in the identification that S.
of megaspores.
apoda and and did not provide descriptions
eclipes
S.
make
Skoda's change rank of eclipes did not appear to use of
in 5.
followed
therefore, not here.
specimen review or field surveys. It is,
apoda complex would benefit from
There doubt that the S,
is little
further biosystematic study.
The
apoda former
and are largely allopatric.
Selaginella eclipes S. is
Midwest, Great Lakes, and Lawrence
primarily distributed in the St.
Seaway regions, while the latter is largely found in the eastern and
Buck reported only two small areas of
United
southeastern States.
New
York and southeastern Missouri.
sympatry: central
New
England record of Selaginella
Valdespino discovered the
first
County, Connecticut {Mehrhoff 7546,
Canaan, Litchfield
eclipes in
189
Rhodora
190
105
[Vol.
conn). The plants were located on the floor of an abandoned marble
The
quarry. record represented a significant range expansion for
—
New
York was
5. eclipes central the closest location reported by
Buck
(1977). Since the discovery, activity in the quarry has resumed and
the plants have been extirpated (Les Mehrhoff, comm.).
pers.
Selaginella eclipes a target species of the Herbarium Recovery
is
The
Project. goal of two-year research program
this to locate
is
herbarium records of rare and/or poorly known native species New
in
England,
verify the accuracy of the determinations, and enter the
corresponding label information into a database. Specimens determined
and
Herbarium
A
examined
closely for the possibility of locating vouchers of
5. eclipes,
single specimen was discovered from
Massachusetts.
Specimen citatign: u.s.a. Massachusetts: Berkshire Co., Wet hillside, Lee, 14 Aug
Hoffman
1904,
s.n. (nebc).
The
specimen
demonstrates
characteristics of Selaginella
eclipes
Buck
noted by The
(1977). leaves of the unner rank taner to a lonix-
The
megaspores omamented
are
annotated
Lakes
diameter. This
out of range apoda,
for 5. larger than average
is for that species (Somers
and
Tliis represents the first report of Selaginella eclipes from Massachu-
and Boufford
1996; and
Sorrie
formal
New
any
state of England,
secure; Natureserve
2001).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
Lcs
Mchrhoff,
the curators of Harvard
the
University Herbaria, and of
staff the Botanical
Libraries of Harvard
University thanked
are for their help with The New
this note. England
Wild Flower
Society thanked
also
is for permission
to use information
gathered during Herbarium
the Recovery
Project.
LITERATURE
CITED
Angelo, and
R.
gymnospemis
New
England Note 191
2003]
A
Buck, W. R. 1977. new species of Selaginella in the 5. apoda complex. Canad.
J.
—
366-371.
Bot. 55:
An
AND W. LucANSKY. 1976. anatomical and morphological comparison
T.
^
oi Selaginella apoda and Selaginella ludoviciana. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 103:
9-16.
Ahles
Amherst
An
NatureServe. 2001. Natureserve Explorer: on-line encyclopedia of Associ-
life.
VA.
Website (http://www.
Biodiversity Information, Arlington,
ation for
natureserve.org/explorer/)
Taxonomic comments on Flora North America North of
Skoda, B. 1997. the of
Mexico, Vol. with some new nomenclatural combinations for Pteridophyta.
2,
341-359.
Preslia 68:
W. apoda and
SoMERS, AND R. BuCK. 1975. Selaginella ludoviciana, S. their
P.
hybrids in the southeastern United States. Amer. Fern J. 65: 76-82.
A
County
SoRRiE, B. A. AND p. SoMERS. 1999. The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts:
and Endangered Species Program,
Massachusetts Natural Heritage
Checklist.
MA.
Westborough,
38-63 Hora of North America
Valdespfno, A. 1993. Selaginellaceae, pp. In:
I.
Committee, Flora of North America North of Mexico, Vol. 2.
Editorial eds.,
New
Oxford and York.
Oxford Univ. Press,