Selaginella magnifica Bonaparte, Notes Pterid. 6: 192. 1923, not Warburg (1900).

Plants terrestrial, evergreen, erect, 20-45 cm, with stolons at base. Rhizophores restricted to lower part of stem or up to middle of main stem. Main stems branched from near base or from lower part upward, pinnately branched, pale green or stramineous, unbranched main stem up to 15 cm tall, 2-3 mm in diam. in lower part, oval, sulcate or not, glabrous; primary leafy branches 3-7 pairs, once or twice forked, or once or twice pinnately branched, secondary branches forked, branchlets sparse and irregular, adjacent primary branches on main stem 5-8 cm apart, leafy portion of main stem including leaves 12-16 mm wide at middle, ultimate branches 10-15 mm wide including leaves. Axillary leaves on branches symmetrical, narrowly oblong, 3-4 × 1.5-2 mm, base slightly biauriculate, margin denticulate. Dorsal leaves on branches contiguous, obliquely broadly ovate, 2.5-4 × 1.6-2.6 mm, not carinate, base obliquely subcordate, margin ciliolate, apex acuminate or cuspidate. Ventral leaves on branches spreading, oblong, 4.5-7 × 2-4.5 mm, margin not obviously denticulate, apex apiculate or obtuse; basiscopic base not auriculate, margin entire, denticulate (at base) or serrate (at apex), slightly involute; acroscopic base not enlarged, margin denticulate (to base), serrate (to apex). Strobili solitary or in pairs or forked (often 2 at tip of branch, sometimes 3), terminal or lateral to branches, compact, tetragonal, 5-37 × 1-1.5 mm; sporophylls uniform, not obviously white-margined, ovate-triangular, sharply carinate, margin denticulate, apex acute; megasporophylls and microsporophylls at intervals, or megasporophylls in middle on lower side of strobilus or in upper portion on lower side; microsporangia elliptic-oblong, relatively thick, marginal cells differentiated, smaller with thin walls; microspores light pale yellow, megaspores gray-white, reticulate.

The ventral leaves of Selaginella rolandi-principis are the largest of all the Chinese species.

Wet shaded places in mixed woods, beside streams in dense forests; (100-)300-900(-1500) m. Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan [Vietnam].