Name:

Aspidistra clausa Vislobokov – Phytotaxa 207(3): 266. (2015).

Holotype:

 

VIETNAM, Vinh Phuc province, Tam Dao district, Tam Dao National Park, about 3 km NW from Tam Dao City. 21° 28,405’ N, 105° 38,351’ E, alt. 978 m, rainforest, 19 November 2014, N.A. Vislobokov 14097 (holotype MW, including reproductive organs in liquid collection at Moscow University).

Distribution:

Vietnam: Vinh Phuc province. 

Phenology:

Flowers in November in nature.

Description

from 

protologue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herbaceous perennial, rhizomatous, evergreen plant. Rhizome creeping, with very short internodes, epigeous, Ø 5.4–7 [6.4] mm. Roots grey, Ø 1.1–1.4 [1.3] mm, with 1–2-layered velamen, root hairs deciduous, endoderm 1–2-layered, pericycle of cells with lignified walls. Rhizomes with regularly repeating units, each comprising ca. 4 distichously arranged cataphylls followed by a foliage leaf. Cataphylls oblong, up to 9 cm long, promptly withering and disintegrating. Foliage leaves distinctly divided into petiole and lamina. Petiole green, adaxially sulcate, 15–32 [23.8] cm long, Ø 2.2–3.2 [2.7] mm. Lamina light green, oblong, basally cuneate and distally acuminate, 26–41 [35.8] cm long, 2.8–4.5 [3.6] cm wide. The midvein somewhat prominent at lower surface. Peduncle (specialized reproductive shoot) white, purple spotted, 2.8–4.6 [3.7] cm long, Ø 2.4–2.8 [2.5] mm, with 5–7 purple mottled, widely ovate, acuminate, 11.8–13.4 [12.7] mm long, 8.9 mm wide distichously arranged scale leaves. Flower solitary at the end of peduncle. Perigone 18–18.3 [18.2] mm long, Ø 38.7–42.5 [40.5] mm; tube white with purple spots outside, purple inside, widely tubular, 12.9–14.6 [13.3] mm long, Ø 14.6–15.1 [14.8] mm; lobes 8, purple mottled to completely purple at both sides, triangular-lanceolate, with appendages at the base; appendages purple, protruding to mouth of perigone tube, fimbriate, 2.1–2.8 [2.5] mm long. Stamens 8 (in the same number as perigone lobes), inserted at the middle of the perigone tube lower than stigma, at the radii of tepals; filaments with purple spots, cylindrical, 4 mm long, Ø 1.3–1.5 [1.4] mm, anthers 2.4–2.5 [2.5] mm long, 1.4–1.8 [1.6] mm wide, introrse, pollen sacs positioned at lower side of connectives, connectives white. Pistil 11.7 mm high. Style white with purple spots, cylindrical, 4.8 mm long, Ø 2.9 mm. Stigma white with purple spots at lower surface, purple with four white radial bifurcated crests at upper surface, highly convex (conical) at center, 7 mm high, Ø 7–7.7 [7.4] mm, 4-lobed at margin, lobes emarginated at apex. Ovary inconspicuous, superior, 4-locular. Fruits grayish black, subspherical, 13–15.6 [14.7] mm long, Ø 14–16.6 [15.3] mm, with short protuberances. A carpophore is absent.

Sourses:

Vislobokov (2015) – Phytotaxa 207(3): 266.

Gallery: