Name:

Aspidistra oviflora Aver. & Tillich – Nordic J. Bot. 33(3): 371. (2014).

Holotype:

 

 

 

Vietnam, Cao Bang prov., Nguyen Binh distr., Yen Lac Municipality, Chi Doi village, around point 22°45′34′′ N, 105°51′48.7′′ E. Primary somewhat logged coniferous forest with Pseudotsuga sinensis along highly eroded rocky limestone ridge at elevation about 1400 m a.s.l., 5 Oct 2013, L. Averyanov, N. T. Hiep, L. M. Tuan, N. S. Khang, T. Maisak, L. Osinovets, CPC 5425 (holotype: LE, isotypes: LE, Herb. of the Center for Plant Conservation, Hanoi).

Distribution:

Vietnam: Cao Bang province, Hanoi city area, Vinh Phuc province.

Phenology:

Flowers in October–November in nature.

Description

from 

protologue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhizome hypogeous, plagiotropic, creeping, to 30 cm long, much branched, densely nodal, forming large dense clusters of erect leaves, covered by numerous long persistent fibers. Roots numerous, almost white, semi-woody, straight, spreading. Cataphylls convolute, linear to narrowly cuneate, light green to green when young, later becoming dull pale brownish, up to 15(20) cm long, enveloping petiole, later splitting into fibrous–papyraceous persistent remains. Leaves (3)4–6(8), densely crowded near rhizome apex, indistinctly petiolate, linear–lanceolate, gradually narrowing from the middle to base and apex, 70–90 cm long, 1.5–2.5 cm wide at the middle, straight and slightly arching toward attenuate apex, uniform dark glossy green, straight or slightly wavy along margin, with strongly prominent midvein and few parallel secondary veins; base of leaf rigid, conduplicate, petiole-like. Flowers solitary, arising from rhizome near apex, pedunculate. Peduncle arising horizontally, white, terete, (2)3–5(6) cm long, 2.0–3.0(4.5) mm in diameter, with (2)3–4 sterile bracts along the axis and 1–2 at perigone base; bracts along the axis broadly ovate, concave, rather fleshy, white with sparse small dirty purple speckles, blunt to obtuse at apex, 0.8–1.2 cm long and wide, those adpressed to perigone broadly triangular–ovate, concave, 1.4–1.5 cm long, 1.5–2.0(2.2) cm wide, commonly splitting into 2–3 lobes. Flowers pink–purple, purple–violet to almost black, ascending to erect, perigone ovoid to almost globular, outside verruculose, 2.0–2.5 cm long and wide. Perigone tube broadly urceolate, very thick, fleshy, with 6 prominent warts 2 mm in diameter below sinuses of perigone lobes. Lobes 6, subequal, very fleshy, straight, 6–8 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, blunt at apex, laterally fused to each other, forming a conical structure with a very small apical opening and a narrow canal inside; sepals slightly broader with small scarious auricles (rudimentary tepals?) at the base; each perigone lobe inside with 2 paired tall densely papillose crests almost completely closing perigone entrance and extending down inside perigone as 2 paired warty keels. Stamens 6, with short fi laments, inserted near base of perigone; filaments fleshy, massive, 1 mm tall, with base 1.5 mm long; anthers bean-shaped 3.0–3.5 mm long and wide; pollen sacs introrse, upward directed, dull yellow. Pistil dark violet to almost black, mushroom-shaped; ovary inconspicuous; style stout, shortly cylindrical, glossy black–violet, 3 mm tall, 5 mm in diameter, broadening to the base and apex; stigma fleshy, umbrella-like, convex, 1.5–1.8 cm in diameter, papillose in central part of upper surface, shallowly 6-lobed; each lobe entire, round or obtuse at apex, with erect folds between lobes.

Sourses:

Averyanov L.V. & Tillich H.J. (2014) – Nordic J. Bot. 33(3): 366–376.

Gallery: