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Issue: Vol. 732 No. 3: 5 Dec. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-12-05
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.732.3.3
Page range: 253-266
Abstract views: 60
PDF downloaded: 1

Diversity, endemism, and geographical distribution of scaly tree ferns in Asia

Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Management, Science and Technology Advanced Institute, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Faculty of Applied Technology, School of Technology, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Management, Science and Technology Advanced Institute, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Faculty of Applied Technology, School of Technology, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
Research Center for Biosystematic and Evolution, Research Organization for Life Science and Environment, National Research and Innovation Agency, West Java, Indonesia
Center for Biodiversity Research and Extension in Mindanao, Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Bukidnon 8710, Philippines; Plant Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Bukidnon, Bukidnon 8710, Philippines
Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, PO Box 1407, 90715 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia; Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Center for Integrative Conservation and Yunnan Key Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China; Biodiversity Research and Conservation Society, Kathmandu, Nepal
Environmental and Life Science, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam
Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan
Ethnobotany and Pharmacognosy Lab, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan
CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India
Centre for Applied Biodiversity Research and Education, Doragamuwa, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Department of Botany, Mohnyin University, Kachin State, Myanmar
Conservation Cyatheaceae fern diversity spatial distribution threatened species Pteridophytes

Abstract

South and Southeast Asia are considered important centers of diversity for scaly tree ferns (Cyatheaceae). Following an extensive review of existing checklists from each Asian country, combined with the expert knowledge of the authors, a comprehensive checklist was compiled. The checklist comprises 185 species belonging to four genera: Alsophila (92 spp.), Cyathea (1 sp.), Gymnosphaera (27 spp.), and Sphaeropteris (65 spp.). Indonesia harbors the highest number of species (117), followed by Malaysia (including Malaysian Borneo) and the Philippines, each with 39 species, highlighting Indonesia’s exceptional contribution to the region’s species diversity. Indonesia also exhibits the highest level of endemism, with 48 endemic species (26%), while the Philippines and Malaysia have 25 and 12 endemic species, respectively. When considering the proportion of endemic species relative to the total number of species recorded in each country, Sri Lanka ranks first, with 71% endemism. The genus Alsophila significantly contributes to endemism in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. The genus Alsophila accounts for 100% of the endemic species in Sri Lanka, while the genus Gymnosphaera accounts for 100% of the endemic species in Vietnam. We hope that this checklist will provide a useful foundation for future studies in taxonomy, biogeography, and conservation, and will contribute to informed management and protection of these species in their natural environments.

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How to Cite

Rajapaksha, R., Pham, van T., Chamara, R., Wardani, W., Coritico, F.P., Mustapeng, A.M.A., Suleiman, M., Ojha, R., Cicuzza, D., Ebihara, A., Islam, T., Huang, Y.-M., Behera, S., Suranjan, S. & Saing, L.M. (2025) Diversity, endemism, and geographical distribution of scaly tree ferns in Asia. Phytotaxa 732 (3): 253–266. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.732.3.3