Name:

Aspidistra mokokchungensis D.K.Roy, Odyuo, Lytan, Biate, Punat. & A.A.Mao, Nelumbo 64(1): 2 (2022).

Holotype:

India. Nagaland, Mokokchung, Mongchen village, 12 November 2019, N. Odyuo & D.K. Roy 128934 (holotype: ASSAM!).

Distribution:

India: Nagaland.

Phenology:

Flowering in August–November.

Description

from 

protologue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lithophytic, evergreen, perennial herb, with glabrous leaves over 100 cm high. Rhizomatous stem creeping, subterranean, stout, 2–2.5 cm in diameter, white inside, covered by fibrous remains of sheath-leaves, with many grey roots. Roots cord-like, thick, fleshy, to 3 mm in diameter, velutinous. Cataphylls (sheath leaves) straight, ensiform, convolute, light green, later becoming dull light brownish, to 10 cm long, early splitting into irregular fibres, enveloping 3–4 petioles by fibrous-papyraceous remains. Foliage leaves 3–4, tufted, not easily divided into petiole and lamina, leaf gradually narrowing to base, leaf base (pseudo-petiole) stiffly erect, dark to light green, adaxially sulcate, 10–15 cm long; leaf blade linearlanceolate, 60–90 cm long, 2.5–3.0 cm wide, dark to light green, without any spot on surfaces, finely serrulate along margins at upper part, midvein protruding abaxially and sunken adaxially, apex attenuate. Floriferous stem decumbent, pale green, 2.5–3.5 cm long, with 5–6 widely ovate bracts, bracts gradually wider from base to top of peduncle, the 2–3 uppermost at base of perigone broadly ovate, creamy white with purple tinges, 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–1.0 cm, obtuse at apex. Flower solitary at top of peduncle. Perigone campanulate, fleshy, 1.5–2 mm thick, 20–22 mm long, 15–20 mm in diameter; perigone tube 8–11 mm long, outside creamy white and with scattered purplepink blotches at upper half, smooth, inside dark purplered; perigone lobes 6, equal, oblong-ovate, 8–10 mm long, 5–7 mm broad at base, apex tapering into acute and usually incurved, adaxially purple and densely papillose/ verrucose, each lobe with 3–4 conspicuous keels. Stamens 6, inserted at the bottom of perigone tube, inserted lower than stigma; filament creamy white, cylindrical, c. 1 mm long; anthers yellow, c. 2 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, introrse; pollen grains yellow, spheroidal, 25–40 μm in diam., with granulated exine ornamentation. Pistil mushroom-shaped, 10–13 mm high, with stigma; style creamy white, 5–6 mm long, cylindrical; stigma crownshaped, 8–10 mm high, 8–10 mm in diameter, dark purple, distinctly lobed at margin, distal lobes acutetriangular, upper surface of stigma centrally elevated with some finger like protrudes projecting upwards. Ovary inconspicuous. Fruits not known.

Sourses:

Roy et al. (2022) – Nelumbo 64 (1):1–6.

Gallery: