Selaginella moraniana (Selaginellaceae – Lycopodiophyta): A new articulate species with puberulent lateral leaves from northwestern South America

Abstract

Selaginella moraniana, a new articulate species from Colombia and Ecuador is described and illustrated, and a conservation assessment is provided. The species is terrestrial or epipetric on riverbanks, often growing as a rheophyte, at low to mid elevations in primary and secondary tropical humid forests. It is morphologically related to S. atirrensis and S. lingulata, from which it differs by the margins of the median and axillary leaves on both leaf surfaces, as well as the acroscopic margin above and both margins below in lateral leaves, each continuously bordered by a whitish-hyaline band, and by the lateral leaves submarginally to marginally puberulent, with short, tooth-like projections or short, stiff hairs, along the basiscopic margin and near the apex on the upper leaf surface.