Name:

Aspidistra globulifera (Aver., K.S.Nguyen & Tillich) Aver., Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 52: 27 (2021).

Holotype:

 

 

 

 

Laos, type herbarium specimen prepared from cultivated plant, flowers dark dirty purple, stigma purple with radiate white markings, 5 Mar 2018, L. Averyanov, AL 150.3 (holotype: LE – LE01049993, <http://en.herbariumle. ru/?t=occ&id=3122>). Living plants were collected in Bolikhamsai Province, Thaphabat District, Nam Bon Village, Phou Khao Khouay National Park, Tad Xai Waterfall, around point 18°27′25.9″N 103°08′17.5″E, degraded primary and secondary evergreen dry forest along rocky river on eroded sandstone at elevation about 350 m a.s.l., terrestrial herb in shady places on sandy soil, leaves uniform green and sometimes with few unclear yellowish spots, locally very common, 9 Dec 2015, L. Averyanov, T. Maisak, AL 150.

Specimens:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laos, herbarium specimen prepared from cultivated plant, 2 May 2017, L. Averyanov, AL 150.1 (LE – LE01050033, <http://en.herbariumle. ru/?t=occ&id=3156>). Laos, herbarium specimen prepared from cultivated plant, 8 Jun 2017, L. Averyanov, AL 150.2 (LE – LE01050073, <http://en.herbariumle. ru/?t=occ&id=3189>). Laos, herbarium specimen prepared from cultivated plant, 5 Mar 2018, AL 190.1 (LE – LE01050068, <http://en.herbariumle. ru/?t=occ&id=3184>). Living plants were collected in Vientiane Province, Vang Vieng District, close vicinities of Vang Vieng Town, secondary degraded evergreen forest on steep slopes of small rocky stream (dry during rainless season) between remnant mountains composed with karstic highly eroded marble-like limestone at elevation 300–400 m a.s.l., terrestrial and lithophytic herb with glossy leaves to 40 cm long on steep rocky shady stream slope, common, AL 190.

Distribution:

Laos: Bolikhamsai province.

Phenology:

Flowers in February–June in cultivation.

Description

from 

protologue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herb perennial, terrestrial or occasionally lithophytic, with short, hypogeous, simple or few-branching, plagiotropic rhizome. Rhizome terete, creeping, 5–6(8) mm in diameter, 3–6(8) cm long, densely nodal, covered by dissected fibrous or papyraceous remains of cataphylls; apical annual segment with 3–5 clustering erect leaves, other segments leafless. Cataphylls narrowly cuneate, at anthesis dry, light yellowish brown loosely arranged, (2)3–8(10) cm long, (4)5–7(8) mm wide at base. Leaves indistinctly distichous, petiolate; petiole slender, erect, straight, (6)8–16(20) cm long, 1.5–2.0 mm in diameter; leaf blade oblique to almost horizontal, narrowly ovate to elliptic, obliquely cuneate at base, attenuate at apex, (14)16–24(26) cm long, (3.5)5–7(8) cm wide, uniformly grassy green, sometimes with few unclear yellowish spots, plicate, with (3)5 clearly sunken veins on adaxial surface and prominent midvein below. Flowers (1)2–10(12) on individual shoot, odorless, shortly pedunculate. Peduncle light uniform green to almost white, (12)15–22(24) mm long, 2.0–2.5 mm in diameter, with (4)5–6(7) scattered sterile bracts; bracts ovate to broadly ovate, or broadly triangular scarious, white to light yellowish, blunt to obtuse at apex, (2.8)3–8(9) mm long, (3.5)4–7(10) mm wide, the distal 2–3 bracts adpressed to perigone base, sometimes shortly splitting at apex. Perigone tube urceolate, hexagonal in cross section, with greatest diameter of 12–13 mm at middle, (8)9–10(11) mm long, at mouth reduced to 5–6 mm, outside smooth, dark purple, inside blackish purple, with 6 lobes; length of free perigone lobes about 1/4 of the perigone tube length. Perigone lobes subsimilar, triangular, blunt to obtuse at apex, fleshy, smooth, straight, erect, (1.8)2–2.2(2.4) mm long, (2.3)2.5–3(3.2) mm wide, inside almost flat, dark purple on both sides. Stamens 6; anthers filamentose, reniform or bean shaped, (1.1)1.2(1.3) mm long and wide, on prominent fleshy erect filaments (1.2)1.3–1.4(1.5) mm long, inserted at the base of tube with pollen sacs oriented to style; pollen pale yellow. Pistil mushroom-shaped, with peltate stigma; ovary inconspicuous; style stout, white to light yellowish, shortly cylindrical, (1.2)1.4–1.6(1.8) mm tall, 2.2–2.4 mm in diameter. Sigma large, fleshy, circular or obscurely hexagonal, (9)10–11(12) mm in diameter; upper surface almost flat or slightly convex, purple brown with white triquetrous figure, finely papillose; margin fleshy, upward curved along all stigma perimeter. Fruits unknown.

Sourses:

Averyanov et al. (2020) – Nordic Journal of Botany: e02877; Averyanov et al. (2021) – Novitates Systematicae Plantarum Vascularium 52: 26–32.

Gallery: