Selaginella adunca: Rare and Endemic NW Himalayan Species

[Nishant Chauhan]

Respected members, 

I am sharing a few pictures of Selaginella adunca, a rare and endemic species of the NW Himalayas from the Selaginellaceae family, which has not yet been discussed or listed on the eFlora of India group/site. 

Botanical Name: Selaginella adunca A.Braun ex Hieron.

Distribution: India(H.P. and U.K.) and Nepal

Habitat: Rock crevices, both open and shady semi-moist/dry slopes.

Place of Shot: Bilaspur, H.P. (Cultivated at Hamirpur, H.P.)

Date: 04 April, 2024

With regards,

Nishant Chauhan

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Nishant ji

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[Nishant Chauhan]

My pleasure, sir! 

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks a lot, Chris ji

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Chris Fraser-Jenkins 
Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2024 at 23:01
Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:463934] Selaginella adunca: Rare and Endemic NW Himalayan Species
To: J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com>

Yes, that's right!.  Don't worry the e-flora is far from complete and they are gradually assimilating the information from my 3 volumes of the Annotated Checklist of Indian Pteridophytes (though they often don't like to admit it!), where of course S. adunca is treated.   So it will be in in due course, one assumes.  It is locally common N. of Mussoorie and there is  a very slightly different vicariant of it in China, the typical bicentric distribution of species that like rather dry conditions and can't stand the central Himalayan wet climate (from C. Nepal to Sikkim).

Now I suggest going to Pithoragarh to look for the superb S. pulvinata, another and much rarer dry-zone species:

c. 1700 m., on open, S.-facing, dry rock-ridge by grassy slope beside new road N. to Malpa from Tawaghat, c. 1 km. N. of Pangola, c. 15 km. N. of Tintola, c. 25 km. (by new road) N. of Tawaghat, N. of Darchula and Pithoragarh, on west side of Kali river valley, Pithoragarh District, Uttarakhand, India. CRFJ, 23.11.1994.

21723 (FN 390). Selaginella pulvinata (proposed to be the original "Sanjeevani" herb of Valmiki's Ravanala, see Fraser-Jenkins, Indian Fern J. (2010), I find it has a slightly bitter taste, CRFJ 2012).  PC. Mostly dried and curled up to form brown tennis-ball-like spheres, but soaking opened them up to form flat rosettes. My photos 283 (200-02): 0845-0868.

If you are able to cultivate S. adunca, you may well manage with S. pulvinata as well.  A bit naughty naughty to show it in a pot? But S. adunca is locally abundant, so no harm done. 

Have you managed to keep it going through a whole year?  Those dry-loving species are rather tricky to cultivate I imagine.

Best wishes,

   Chris Fraser-Jenkins, at RBG, Edinburgh

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[Nishant Chauhan]

Thanks a lot, Chris Fraser-Jenkins sir, for your detailed insights and information on S. adunca and S. pulvinata. Regarding your question about S. adunca cultivation, yes, I have managed to keep it going for over a year now. I planted it in August 2022 after collecting it from a habitat where it was abundant. It indeed proves to be tricky to cultivate; growth is slower in cultivation compared to its rapid growth in the natural habitat. 

Thanks again for providing information about S. pulvinata. It sounds like a fascinating species to explore. 

Best regards,

Nishant Chauhan

[J.M. Garg]

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks a lot, Chris ji

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Chris Fraser-Jenkins 
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 at 00:40
Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:463934] Selaginella adunca: Rare and Endemic NW Himalayan Species
To: J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com>

Interesting indeed.  Unique I should think!  Good luck with your Selaginellas, one could develop a Selaginelletum!

Chris F.-J.

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With regards,
J.M.Garg