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Germplasm resource is the source of herbal medicine production. Cultivation of superior germplasm resources helps to resolve the serious conflict between long-term population persistence and growing market demand by producing materials with high quality consistently.Cibotium barometzis the original plant of cibotii rhizoma (“Gouji”), a traditional Chinese medicine used in the therapy of pain, weakness, and numbness of lower extremity. Long-history use ofCibotiumhas rendered wild populations of this species declined seriously in China. Without sufficient understanding of species and lineage diversity ofCibotium, it is difficult to propose a targeted conservation scheme at present, let alone selecting high-quality germplasm resources. In order to fill such a knowledge gap, this study sampledC. barometzand relative species throughout their distribution in China, performed genome skimming to obtain plastome data, and conducted phylogenomic analyses. We constructed a well-supported plastome phylogeny of ChineseCibotium, which showed that three species with significant genetic difference distributed in China, namelyC. barometz,C. cumingii, andC. sino-burmaense, a cryptic species endemic to NW Yunnan and adjacent region of NE Myanmar. Moreover, our results revealed two differentiated lineages ofC. barometzdistributed in the east and west side of a classic phylogeographic boundary that probably shaped by monsoons and landforms in China. We also evaluated the resolution of nine traditional barcode loci, and designed five new DNA barcodes based on the plastome data which can discriminate all these species and lineages of ChineseCibotiumaccurately. These novel findings integrated genetic basis will guide conservation planners and medicinal plant breeders to build systematic conservation plans and exploit germplasm resources ofCibotiumin China.

Nearly 103 species of Sphaeropteris are distributed in tropical area, of which three species are indigenous to China. Our previous molecular study of the genus in China showed that there is an undescribed species from Guangxi province which could be originated from natural hybridization. In this study, we carried out further morphological studies on the species of Sphaeropteris in China, and assessed the status of the new species. Here, we described and illustrated the new species as S. guangxiensis Y.F. Gu & Y.H. Yan.

Lepisorus youxingii, a new fern of Polypodiaceae from southern China, is described and illustrated. Morphological comparison with L. thunbergianus, L. oligolepidus, and L. lewisii is provided. Both morphological and molecular evidences clearly indicate that L. youxingii is a distinct species. It differs in rhizome scales (brown, iridescent, transparent, lanceolate with broadly ovate base, margin denticulate, and apex long acuminate), laminae (lanceolate, widest at third from the base, base attenuate, decurrent, with margin narrowly callose, and apex long caudate), and paraphyses (brown, orbicular, with margin denticulate, and lumina transparent). This species is in protected area with more than 250 mature individuals and it can be classified as LC (Least Concern) according to IUCN criteria.

Yu-Feng Gu, Morigengaowa, Ri-Hong Jiang, Bao-Dong Liu (2021): YU-FENG GU, MORIGENGAOWA, RI-HONG JIANG, BAO-DONG LIU & YUE-HONG YAN (2021) Sphaeropteris guangxiensis Y. F. Gu & Y. H. Yan (Cyatheaceae), a new species of tree fern from Southern China. Phytotaxa 518 (1): 69-74. Phytotaxa 520 (1): 116-116, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.520.1.10, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.520.1.10

Phlegmariurus (Herter) Holub is the largest genus of Lycopodiaceae, with about 250 species distributed in the tropics and subtropics of the world. Phlegmariurus phlegmaria is the representative species of Phlegmariurus. In this study, we reported the complete chloroplast genome of P. phlegmaria. This complete chloroplast genome is 1,49,711 bp in size. In total, 134 genes were identified, including 84 protein-coding genes, 42 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. In phylogenetic analysis, a close relationship with genus Huperzia was supported by maximum-likelihood (ML) tree. The complete plastome of P. phlegmaria will provide potential genetic resources to understand the evolution of lycophytes.

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Phlegmariurus (Herter) Holub is the largest genus of Lycopodiaceae, with about 250 species distributed in the tropics and subtropics of the world. Phlegmariurus phlegmaria is the representative species of Phlegmariurus. In this study, we reported the complete chloroplast genome of P. phlegmaria. This complete chloroplast genome is 1,49,711 bp in size. In total, 134 genes were identified, including 84 protein-coding genes, 42 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. In phylogenetic analysis, a close relationship with genus Huperzia was supported by maximum-likelihood (ML) tree. The complete plastome of P. phlegmaria will provide potential genetic resources to understand the evolution of lycophytes.

We inferred the classification of the Paleotropical climbing fern genus Arthropteris and its close relative Psammio­ sorus, a monotypic genus endemic to Madagascar. The classification of these ferns has until now been poorly understood. To address this, we sampled more than half of the species diversity covering the whole range of the genus including the outlying occurrence at the Juan Fernandez Islands. To reconstruct phylogenetic relationships, we obtained DNA sequences from up to six plastid genome regions, including coding and non-coding regions, for these two genera and representatives of all fami- lies of the eupolypod I clade, with an emphasis on the Tectariaceae. These data were analyzed using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference. We also obtained divergence time estimates. Three questions were addressed. (1) We established that Arthropteris and Psammiosorus form a well-supported clade representing a separate taxon based on their morphological distinctiveness, phylogenetic relationships, and separation since the Eocene from other accepted families of eupolypod ferns. (2) Psammiosorus was found to be nested within Arthropteris. (3) Our analyses supported recognition of a previously doubted species endemic to the karst regions of southern China and northern Vietnam. As a consequence of our results, we describe the new family Arthropteridaceae and introduce the new combination Arthropteris paucivenia for the Madagascan endemic previously treated under Psammiosorus.

Asplenium cornutissimum, a new species from Guangxi, southern China, is described, illustrated, and compared to three similar species: A. pulcherrimum, A. coenobiale, and A. tenuifolium. So far, the new species is known only from the limestone region in southern Guangxi, from 750–825 m. It grows exclusively in karst caves.

Ophiopogon yangshuoensis R.H. Jiang & W.B. Xu (Asparagaceae), a new species from limestone areas in Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to O. intermedius, but differs by its abaxially glaucous leaves, white streaked, broadlanceolate or ovate-lanceolate bracts, narrow-lanceolate innermost bracts, and ovate, reflexed tepals.

Chionographis shiwandashanensis a new species from southern Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to C. koidzumiana Ohwi and C. chinensis Krause in habit, but distinguished by oblong-elliptic to oblong bractlike leaves and 6, filiform, regular tepals.