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| Angiopteris guangdongensis Wufeng Chen and Y.H. Yan, in W.-F. Chen, Sun, L.-J. Chen, Shu, Liang, Zheng et Yan, 2025. |
ABSTRACT
In this study, we confirm that the population of Angiopteris from Guangdong Province represents a distinct new species, which we describe as Angiopteris guangdongensis. Morphologically, A. guangdongensis resembles Angiopteris fokiensis but can be distinguished by its arborescent habit (reaching up to 5 m in height), robust scaly stipes, linear-lanceolate pinnules, abaxially scaly slender pinnules, sori with 7–16 sporangia, and a higher basal pinnule aspect ratio. Plastid phylogenomic analyses place A. guangdongensis as a monophyletic lineage sister to A. fokiensis. According to IUCN guidelines, the species is preliminarily assessed as ‘Data Deficient (DD)’. In addition, we report the complete plastid genome of this new species. This discovery not only provides important insights into the evolution and speciation of Angiopteris but also highlights the taxonomic oversimplification within the genus.
Keywords: ferns, Marattiaceae, morphology, phylogeny, plastid genome, taxonomy
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| Angiopteris guangdongensis Wufeng Chen and Y.H. Yan, sp. nov. (A) Habit; (B) pinnule; (C) detail of pinnule; (D) spore; (E) scale on the abaxial surface of the pinnule; (F) scale on the abaxial surface of the pinna rachis. |
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| Angiopteris guangdongensis Wufeng Chen and Y.H. Yan, sp. nov. (A) Habitat; (B) lamina; (C) pinnae; (D) rhizome and stipe; (E) sporangia. Photographs by Jin-Gang Liu (A–E). |
Angiopteris guangdongensis Wufeng Chen and Y.H. Yan, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Angiopteris guangdongensis is similar to both A. fokiensis (type locality: Fujian Province, China) and A. muralis (type locality: Guangdong Province, China), but it can be distinguished by the following diagnostic characters: (1) arborescent habit, 3–5 m tall (vs. 2–4 m in A. fokiensis and 2–3 m in A. muralis); (2) robust stipes, 9 cm in diameter, densely scaly (vs. 6 cm, sparsely scaly in both species); (3) linear-lanceolate pinnules (vs. lanceolate in A. fokiensis; ovate, lanceolate, acuminate in A. muralis); (4) pinnules densely scaly on the abaxial surface (vs. glabrous in A. fokiensis and sparsely scaly in A. muralis); (5) higher basal pinnule AR (Figures 5-8; Table 2).
Etymology: The specific epithet guangdongensis refers to Guangdong Province, China, the geographical origin of the type specimen. The species shows narrow endemism, being restricted to this region based on current distribution records.
Vernacular name: 广东观音座莲 (guang dong guan yin zuo lian).
Wu-Feng Chen, Wei-Yue Sun, Li-Jun Chen, Jiang-Ping Shu, Jun-Jie Liang, Yue-Bing Zheng and Yue-Hong Yan. 2025. Angiopteris guangdongensis (Marattiaceae): A New Species From Guangdong, China. Ecology and Evolution.15(11); DOI: doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72447 [09 November 2025]
