Selaginella wightii Hieron. var. philipsiana Hieron.

Plant prostrate, mat-forming, bright olive-green but paler on drying, branches ascending; older primary branches 2–3 times pinnate, the leafy stems radially symmetrical or nearly so. Leaves monomorphic, herbaceous to herbaceous-papery, linear-lanceolate in outline, apex tapering to a point, base abruptly adnate, arista white, 1/5 to almost 1/2 as long as the blade, margin ciliate, leaves ± 2.2 x 0.3–0.4 mm. Strobili (5–)10–21 mm long, radially symmetrical; sporophylls pale glaucous green, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, ± 3 x 0.8 mm, acuminate-aristate, with 20–25 marginal setae.

phillipsiana: type specimen collected by Lort Phillips in Somalia.

On rocks, in crevices and soil pockets in bushland and thicket.

See african distribution.

Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania , Uganda.

Lithophytic, terrestrial.