Two New Species of Thelypteridaceae from the Solomon Islands

Abstract

The Thelypteridaceae is the second most species-rich fern family in the Solomon Islands, representing 47 of the 449 ferns and lycophytes from the islands and a third of its endemic pteridophyte flora. Recently, there has been a major effort to document the botanical diversity of this tropical island archipelago, which has resulted in the discovery and description of several new species of ferns. Here we describe two additional novelties in recently recognized genera, Grypothrix and Reholttumia. We hope that our study of these diverse and often narrowly restricted lineages will encourage others to learn more about these underappreciated islands, and these understudied taxa.