¡@Ferns

Taiwan is rich in ferns, with around 610 species of which some 60 are endemic, and the island has the highest density of fern species anywhere in the world.
Currently the pterophytes face two kinds of problems. The first is human development, which is making their once widespread natural environment more and more restricted so that many endemic fern species are now in danger of extinction. The other problem is that there are still many points of dispute in the classification of pterophyte species. In future, TESRI will systematically survey and research endemic and rare fern species to ensure that we have accurate data on their distribution and present populations, and will investigate the feasibility of artificial propagation and cultivation. Two fern species which the Institute is currently planning to survey and research in detail are Archangiopteris henryi and Archangiopteris itoi.