aSPIDISTRA sPECIES

Aspidistra jiewhoei

Name:

Aspidistra jiewhoei Tillich & Škorničk. – Gard. Bull. Singapore 65(1): 102. (2013).

Holotype:

 

 

Jana Leong-Škorničková JLS-1871, Cultivated in the Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG Acc. No. 20122069), 5 Dec 2012 (holo SING, including flowers in the liquid collection; iso M, HN, both including flowers in the liquid collection). Originally from Northern Vietnam, Tuyên Quang Province, Nà Hang District (collector unknown), donated to Singapore Botanic Gardens by the Singapore Gardening Society.

Specimens:

Vietnam, Tuyen Quang province, BWJ15210 (photo)

Distribution:

Vietnam: Tuyen Quang province.

Phenology:

Flowers in December in cultivation.

Description

from 

protologue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhizomatous herb up to 35 cm tall. Rhizome with very short internodes, diameter 10–13 mm. Leaves crowded, cataphylls deep purple when young, up to 12.5 cm long. Petiole 10–20 cm long, stout, stiff, ventrally with a furrow, deeper at apical part, shallower towards the base, basal 5–12 mm swollen. Blade broadly ovate, slightly unequal, 20–30 × 8.5–13 cm, apex acuminate, base rounded, matt dark green above (nearly dark bluish green), light grey-green beneath with strongly protruding midvein and well-visible dark green secondary veins, margin very minutely serrate, making the margin somewhat sharp to touch, revolute. Peduncle up to 4.5 cm long, semi-erect at first, later more or less horizontal or descending when the flower opens, its tip bent downward, dark purple externally, with 3 hood-like, dark purple scales, 2 subtending the flower and 1 along the scape. Perigone nodding, widely bowl-shaped, 14–15 mm in diameter, with nearly flat, fleshy base, reddish purple to deep purple internally and externally, except sometimes outer basal part lighter (cream-yellowish). Lobes 6 (sometimes 8), ovate-triangular, erect to slightly patent, upper surface smooth, in two whorls of 3 (sometimes 4), outer lobes c. 6–7 × 8–9 mm, inner lobes c. 5–6 × 6–7 mm. Stamens 6 (8 in flowers with 8 lobes), inserted at apical part of the tube, overtopping stigma surface, anthers sessile, somewhat sunken in a circular bulge, anther thecae c. 1.3 mm long, bean shaped, separated by light green connective tissue, pollen bright yellow. Pistil depressed obconical, c. 3 mm high, outer (lower) surface closely attached to perigone wall. Stigma circular, 5–6 mm in diameter, cream-coloured in the slightly convex centre, margin and lower part tinged with purple red to deep purple, the margin with small lobes. Fruit unknown.

Sourses:

Tillich & Leong-Škorničková (2013) – Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 65(1): 101–105. 2013.

Gallery: