Researchers discover new fern species in South Korea

Researchers and local authorities in Jeju Province discovered a previously unrecorded fern species, Polystichum atkinsonii Bedd, in the Baengnokdam area of Hallasan Mountain.

The team included the Hallasan Research Department, the Hallasan National Park Management Office, and Dr. Moon Myeong-ok from the Jeju National University Basic Science Research Institute. The researchers proposed the Korean name Hansannaksigo for the plant to honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bu Jong-hyu, a pioneer in Jeju plant research.

This species belongs to the Dryopteridaceae family and remains green year-round. It differs from the common local naksigo fern in its leaf shape and the arrangement of its spore clusters, which appear in the middle of the leaf veins rather than along the upper edges. The discovery provides a clue to understanding how alpine plants on Hallasan have changed due to past climate and environmental shifts.

The researchers noted that the plant might be a relict population that once lived in a wider area but now survives in a restricted range. The Hallasan Research Department plans to conduct follow-up studies to determine how the alpine regions of Hallasan have functioned as habitats for past plant distributions.