Name:

Aspidistra quangngaiensis N.S.Lý, Haev. & Tillich – Phytotaxa 312(1): 123. (2017).

Holotype:

 

Vietnam: Quảng Ngãi Province, Nghĩa Hành District, Hành Tín Ðông Commune, Trường Lệ Village, Mount Dầu, Nhự hill, 14°51950′N, 108°48.467′E, 157 m elev., 23 September 2016, Ngọc-Sâm Lý & Thomas Haevermans Lý-807 (holotype VNM; isotypes P, VNM).

Specimens:

 

 

Paratypes: ― Vietnam: Quảng Ngãi Province, Nghĩa Hành District, Hành Tín Ðông Commune, Trường Lệ Village, Mount Dầu, Nhự hill, 14°51.365′N, 108°49.512′E, 225 m elev., 23 September 2016, Ngọc-Sâm L ý & Thomas Haevermans Lý-808 (VNM); ibidem, 14°51.991′N, 108°48.762′E, 270 m elev., 23 September 2016, Ngọc-Sâm Lý & Thomas Haevermans Lý-809 (VNM).

Distribution:

Vietnam: Quang Ngai province.

Phenology:

Flowers in May–June in nature.

Description

from 

protologue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perennial rhizomatous herb, 38.5–74 cm tall. Rhizome creeping, unbranched, epigeous, with dense short internodes, 5–8(–10) mm diam., brownish, with many swollen roots, up to 25 cm long, 4–6 mm in diam. Cataphylls 5–7, oblong to ovate-oblong, up to 14 cm long, the inner ones longer than the outer ones near the base, light greenish, whitish towards base, later straw-brown. Leaves solitary, ca. 0.5 cm apart, distinctly divided into petiole and lamina; petiole stiff, (14–)22.5–45.5 cm long, green, ventrally with shallow v-shaped furrow, basally 5–7 mm swollen, whitish-green; lamina ovate, unequal, (19–)22–35 × (6.4–)8.5–10.9 cm, tapering into attenuate tip, base somewhat rounded, adaxially dark-green, semi-glossy, abaxially light green, semi-glossy, mid vein strongly prominent on abaxial surface, each half of lamina with 3–4 prominent secondary veins, between them 4–9 fine-tertiary nerves with numerous anastomoses, somewhat prominent at lower surface, margin very minutely serrate. Flowers 1‒2, obliquely upright or horizontal, 22–40 mm long, 35–53 mm in diam., slightly fragrant. Pedicel stout, thick, obliquely upwards then horizontal, (1.2– )2.5–3.9 cm long, 2.5–3.5 mm in diam., white with pale purple dots/spots, with 7–8 scale leaves, translucent white with densely purple dots at dorsal surface, with 9 translucent nerves, prominent on outer surface, apex acute or mucronate; basally 4–5 triangular ovate scales, 4.5–5.5 × 6–5 mm, distally with 2–3 larger broadly ovate scales adjacent to flower, 14.3–16 × 11–14 mm. Perigone tube urceolate, fleshy, 14.5–18 mm long, 15–22 mm wide at base, mouth 6–8 mm wide, externally white at lower half, distally sparsely dark violet to black-violet, internally white at basal third, distally black-violet, finely verrucose at upper third, 6-lobed apically; lobes outcurved, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, apex rounded, unequal, arranged distinctly in 2-whorls; lobes (13–)18–27.5 mm long, 7–11.5 mm broad at base, each with two strongly prominent keels, 1–2.5 mm high, running from the lower third of adaxial side to the upper third of inner surface of perigone tube, dark violet to black-violet at basal half, distally white to greenish white, adaxially finely verrucose, abaxially smooth, thin marginal edges ca. 0.3 mm wide, deflexed; tube wall 1–1.5 mm thick, lobes 3–3.5 mm thick near base. Stamens 6, inserted at 2–4 mm from base of perigone tube (ca. 1/5 of the perigone tube), completely covered by stigma, arranged at the same radii with lobes; anther sessile, ovate, 3.3–4 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide near the base, yellow, latrorse, thecae separated by whitish connective tissue, without a connective appendage; pollen orange-yellow. Pistil table-shaped, 5–7 mm tall, ovary indistinct; style stout, shortly cylindrical, 2.5–3 mm long, 3–3.5 mm in diam., white; stigma fleshy, discoid-peltate, (14–)18–22 mm in diam., filling nearly complete the base of tube, 3-lobed, upper surface flat, rough, densely purple-black mottled, verruculose, lower surface smooth, white at centre, deeply purple black with purple dots at margins, lobes with semicircular dents between them, leaving relatively large openings for pollination, each lobe emarginated and reflexed. Fruits not seen.

Sourses:

Lý et al. (2017) – Phytotaxa 312 (1): 123–128.

Gallery: