A new fern species has been discovered in the Serranía de los Yariguíes, in the department of Santander, strengthening Colombia’s role as an epicenter of biodiversity. The species, Serpocaulon biauriculatum (family Polypodiaceae), was recently described in the scientific journal Brittonia, published by the New York Botanical Garden.
The discovery was made based on botanical collections carried out in the municipalities of Carmen de Chucurí and San Vicente de Chucurí by researchers from the UIS Herbarium (Universidad Industrial de Santander) and the VT Herbarium (University of Vermont, USA). This finding highlights the importance of exploring and conserving the buffer zones of the Serranía de los Yariguíes — a territory still little studied, yet recognized for its high degree of diversity and endemism.
“The discovery of Serpocaulon biauriculatum not only enriches our botanical collection but also strengthens the bonds of scientific cooperation between national and international institutions,” said Professor David Sanín, researcher at the UIS Herbarium of the School of Biology. The expert also explained that, due to its morphological characteristics, this new species represents the sister group of Serpocaulon articulatum, a species widely distributed throughout the Neotropics.
The study notes that “like other species of Serpocaulon (Sanin et al., 2023), Serpocaulon biauriculatum appears to grow both terrestrially and epiphytically. Small plants were uniformly found growing on the ground, while larger plants were generally found on tree trunks less than 1 meter above the ground. Although most Serpocaulon species are epiphytic, numerous growth habits are known within the genus (Sanin et al., 2023), and the evolution of growth habits in the genus deserves further study. In the case of S. biauriculatum, it is necessary to examine other populations, paying special attention to the gametophyte generation, to confirm the growth habit of the species.”
With this discovery, Colombia is consolidated as the country with the highest number of described species of the genus Serpocaulon, opening new questions about its evolution and distribution. Furthermore, it underscores the urgency of continuing to research and protect our ecosystems, which keep revealing natural treasures still unknown to science.
The UIS Herbarium
This discovery, among others made previously, is the result of the work carried out at the Herbarium of the Universidad Industrial de Santander, which for 47 years has contributed to the knowledge, preservation, and development of projects in favor of the flora of the Department of Santander. Attached to the School of Biology, it has been the site where several new species for science have been described.
The Herbarium houses various collections, such as the carpotheque (fruits), the mycological collection (fungi), bryophytes, ferns, and flowers—all associated with the Museum of Natural History of the School of Biology.
