Abstract
Dipterisshenzhenensis, a new species of ferns from Shenzhen, Guangdong, southern China, is identified and described. It closely resembles D.chinensis but possesses several unique traits, such as long rhizome scales, castaneous stipe, and abaxially pale fronds with two fan-shaped fronds connected by a broad wing. Molecular evidence showed that D.shenzhenensis is allied to D.conjugata, whereas it has morphologically significant differences (P < 0.05) on the basis of quantitative trait statistical analysis. Overall, the morphological evidence, taken together with the result of cpDNA indicated that D.shenzhenensis is a distinct species.
Highlights
Dipteris Reinw. is one of two genera in Dipteridaceae (Zhang et al 2013; PPG I 2016), and is considered as an early-diverging leptosporangiate fern lineage related to the Gleicheniaceae (Schuettpelz and Pryer 2007; Lehtonen 2011)
Dipteris shenzhenensis has been confused with D. conjugata and D. chinensis because of similar gross morphology
Most specimens of D. shenzhenensis were formerly identified as D. chinensis in herbaria because of the presence in similar fronds morphology
Summary
Dipteris Reinw. is one of two genera in Dipteridaceae (Zhang et al 2013; PPG I 2016), and is considered as an early-diverging leptosporangiate fern lineage related to the Gleicheniaceae (Schuettpelz and Pryer 2007; Lehtonen 2011). In August 2020, during botanical research on Mt. Qiniangshan in Shenzhen, Guangdong, southern China, a unique species of Dipteris was documented on rocks in evergreen broad-leaf forest. Voucher specimens were deposited in the National Orchid Conservation Center of China (NOCC) and Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden Herbarium (SZG).
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