地球上有多少物种一直以来都是人们极度关注的问题, 而存疑物种是造成该问题难以解决的重要阻碍之一。目前, 模式标本是存疑物种得以确定的唯一凭证标准, 然而, 因其特殊的分类学地位而难以进行有效的观察和研究。因此, 前往模式产地寻找存疑物种的原始信息成为最有效的替代途径。随着分子生物学, 特别是DNA条形码技术在物种分类与鉴定中的广泛应用, 准确而快速鉴定存疑物种成为可能。以存疑物种——南平鳞毛蕨(Dryopteris yenpingensis)为例, 利用来自模式产地的分子数据进行DNA条形码分析, 并结合形态学特征澄清了南平鳞毛蕨的分类学地位, 确定南平鳞毛蕨与荔波鳞毛蕨(D. liboensis)为同一物种, 同意将荔波鳞毛蕨作为其异名。研究结果和方法可为今后澄清更多存疑物种的分类学地位提供参考。

Calculating the number of species on earth has always been an issue of extreme concern, and suspicious species are among the most important obstacles to solve. Presently, the type specimen is the only criteria for identifying the suspicious species but is difficult to observe and study effectively because of its special taxonomic position. Therefore, the mostly effective way is to search the original information for suspicious species in the type locality. As molecular biological method, DNA barcoding, has been widely used in species classification and identification and can be used to identify a suspicious species accurately and quickly. In this study, a suspicious species, Dryopteris yenpingensis, was used as an example. We used DNA barcode analysis with the molecular data for the material from the type locality and combined morphological traits to clarify the doubtful taxonomic status of D. yenpingensis. The results supported D. yenpingensis and D. liboensis as the same species, and D. liboensis should be treated as a synonym. This study provides a reference for clarifying the taxonomic status of other suspicious species.