Selaginella depressa sensu Sim
selaginella cooperi Baker
Selaginella mackenii Baker
Selaginella tectissima Baker
Selaginella welwitschii Baker

Plant creeping, moss-like, branched repeatedly, rooting for most of its length, flattened against the ground. Leaves dimorphic; lateral leaves ovate-elliptic in outline, spreading, 2 × 1.1 mm, base unequally cordate, apex pointed, margin minutely toothed, larger than median leaves; median leaves elliptic, pointed, up to 1.2 mm long. Leaves bright green, curl beneath the stem when dry. Strobili situated on the end of the branches, 4-8 mm long; sporophylls similar to the median leaves, in 4 lines.

Can be distinguished from Selaginella kraussiana which has bigger lateral leaves and a more springy habit (it does not lay appressed to the ground like S. mittenii). Confusion with Selaginella perpusilla is possible, but this is only known from the Lundi river bridge in southern Zimbabwe. The lateral leaves of S. perpusilla do not curl when dry.

mittenii: named after W. Mitten, British bryologist

In moist evergreen forest or deciduous woodland, along earth-or streambank or in rocky areas, in lee of boulders in grassland, exposed or deeply shaded.

Angola, Burundi, Dem. Republic of Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan and South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania , Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Lithophytic, terrestrial.