Polystichum tiandengense (subg. Haplopolystichum; Dryopteridaceae), a New Cave Fern from Guangxi, China

Abstract

A new fern species, Polystichum tiandengense H. He & Li Bing Zhang (Dryopteridaceae), is described and illustrated from a limestone cave in the Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, South China. Polystichum tiandengense is most similar to P. cavernicola Li Bing Zhang & H. He in having oblong to square pinnae with undulate margins, but the new species is distinguished by its pinnae mostly adjacent to each other or imbricating, and mostly sterile (vs. distant from each other and mostly fertile in P. cavernicola). Polystichum tiandengense is considered to be Critically Endangered (CR), based on IUCN Red List criteria.