Abstract

A rare and little known, endemic fern Thelypteris kingii C.F.Reed was first described from a 19th Century collection from an unspecified locality in what was then "British Sikkim", now Darjeeling District, India. Recently a small population of the plant was rediscovered by the author from present-day Sikkim State. Herbarium records and field study reveal that this species is very rare and under great threat of extinction due to natural and man-made impact. This species is therefore little known to pteridologists and is readily confused with the similar, but common species, T. mollissima (Kunze) N.Thapa as well as with another S. E. Asian species T. leptogrammoides (Ross.) C.F. Reed due to nomenclatural similarities or being later homonymous. Although only known so far from India, and thus an endemic Indian species, its presence in Tibet and China etc. is probably to be expected. A brief history of its discovery, taxonomy, morphology, habitat and ecology is presented here to assist taxonomists and conservation biologists with its identification and conservation. It has been identified as Endangered and Globally Threatened and efforts have also been made by the present author to include it in the forthcoming volume of the Red Data Book of Indian plants.

中文摘要

印度稀有特有種Thelypteris kingii C.F.Reed最早的採集紀錄來自於19世紀之“英屬錫金 區”（現為印度大吉嶺縣）之不明地點。作者近來在現今的錫金邦再度發現了本種的小族群。 從標本館的紀錄與野外調查可以得知，這個物種因人為的環境衝擊而使族群數變得非常稀 少，目前正面臨滅絕的危機。由於本種在野外極稀有，因此蕨類學家對其知之甚少，甚至 容易與另一種常見的物種T. mollissima(Kunze) N.Thapa混淆，或因命名的關係易與另一東南 亞物種T. leptogrammoides (Ross.) C.F. Reed產生誤解。本文提供了此種之發現歷史、分類處 理、型態與生態描述，來協助未來的分類學者與保育學者進行必要之分類與保育工作，目 前此種判斷為瀕危及全球性受威脅等級，作者也盡力將此物種納入未來之印度植物紅皮書 當中。

Keyword: Endemic, Sikkim, Stegnogramma leptogrammoides, Thelypteris kingii, Thelypteris leptogrammoides.