Phylogeography of rare fern Polystichum glaciale endemic to the subnival zone of the Sino-Himalaya

Previous phylogeographical studies of the Sino-Himalaya (SH) regions have mainly focused on seed plants from forest or alpine grassland habitats, whereas the flora of the subnival summits, especially the ferns, has largely been ignored. Here, we report on phylogeographical studies on Polystichum glaciale, a rare fern endemic to the subnival belt of the SH region. Based on cpDNA/nDNA sequences, strikingly rich genetic diversity was detected in P....