Himalayan Ferns: A Guide to Polystichum

Abstract: "Polystichum in the Indian subcontinent has been studied anew in most of the major herbaria of the world. As a result, 45 species are now listed from the area with revised nomenclature, a brief synonymy where important and their detailed range, including that within China. Preliminary correlation of Chinese, Taiwanese and Indo-Himalayan species has also been carried-out and this has involved a re-evaluation of much of the material in Chinese herbaria, effectively unidentified before now due to excessive splitting and multiple naming of species. The species are placed within seven sections resulting mainly from a revision of previous Japanese work which has also involved too much splitting at a sectional level. One of the sections, Sect. Duropolystichum Fraser-Jenkins, is new. Of the 45 species, seven are reported from the area for the first time and two others are the first reports under the names used; one is a new species, P. mannii Hope apud Ching ex Fraser-Jenkins. There are also two new combinations, P. subinerme (Kunze) Fraser-Jenkins and P. anomalum forma eximium (Mett. ex Kuhn) Fraser-Jenkins. Five hybrids are recorded, four of which are new, P. x stewartii Fraser-Jenkins (= P. lonchitis x ? P. prescottianum), P. x flemingii Fraser-Jenkins (=P. discretum x ? P. yunnanense), P. x inayatii Fraser-Jenkins (=P. piceo-paleaceum x P. yunnanense) and P. x jamunae Fraser-Jenkins (=P. mehrae x P. squarrosum)."