Table 1.

Morphological characters of Selaginellaamblyphylla, S.bodinieri, S.dianzhongensis and S.kurzii.

Characters	S. amblyphylla	S. bodinieri	S. dianzhongensis	S. kurzii
Main stems	creeping, up to 35 cm	erect or ascending, (15–)30–40(–50) cm	creeping, 15–25 cm	erect or ascending, 10–20 cm
Axillary leaves	ovate or triangular, 2–3 × 0.6–1.2 mm	ovate or triangular, 2–3.2 × 0.9–1.6 mm	ovate, 1.1–2.2 × 0.4–0.8 mm	ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 1–2.5 × 0.6–1.6 mm
Base of axillary leaf	denticulate	denticulate or ciliolate	with a few long cilia	long ciliolate
Dorsal leaves	ovate-lanceolate or ovate, 1.4–2.2 × 0.4–0.8 mm	obliquely ovate, 2.4–3.4 × 1.2–1.8 mm	ovate to broadly ovate, 1.2–1.9 × 0.5–1.0 mm	ovate or ovate-elliptic, 1–1.2 × 0.4–0.8 mm
Base of dorsal leaf	obliquely cordate, denticulate to ciliolate	obliquely cordate, denticulate or ciliolate	obliquely subcordate or cordate, ciliolate	subcordate or obtuse, ciliolate,
Apex of dorsal leaf	aristate, arista ca. 1 mm long	acuminate, aristate, or cuspidate	aristate, arista 0.3–0.6 mm long	acuminate or aristate, arista 0.3–0.6 mm long
Ventral leaves	oblong, 2.2–3.5 × 1.6–2 mm, apex obtuse or subacute	oblong-ovate or oblong, 3.4–4.4 × 1.6–2.2 mm, acute or obtuse	ovate-oblong, 1.7–3.9 × 0.7–1.6, apex acute	ovate-triangular, 1.6–3.8 × 0.6–1.6 mm, apex acute or acuminate
Acroscopic base of ventral leaf	shortly ciliolate in basal portion, elsewhere entire	denticulate or ciliolate	long ciliolate	rather long ciliolate at base, subentire upward
Basiscopic base of ventral leaf	sparsely ciliolate at base	entire	slightly auriculate in base, margin entire	entire or with 1 or 2 cilia at base
Strobili	3.5–10 × 3.2–4.4 mm	4–16 × 1.4–2.4 mm	3.2–4.0 × 2.3–3.5 mm	6–8 × 2–3 mm