aSPIDISTRA sPECIES

Aspidistra radiata

Name:

Aspidistra radiata G.W.Hu & Q.F.Wang – Pl. Sci. J. 34(6): 843. (2016).

Holotype:

 

China: Yunnan Province, Hekou County,Longbao, under forest and on rock, 22°40’N, 104°01’E, elev. 1100 m, 7 June 2013 (fl.), G.W.Hu HGW-00956 (holotype: HIB; isotypes: HIB, HNNU).

Distribution:

China: Yunnan.

Phenology:

Flowers in May–June in nature.

Description

from 

protologue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herbs perennial, rhizomatous. Rhizome creeping, subterete, with very short internodes, 8–13 mm thick. Roots numerous. Vaginate leaves 3–4, purple-red, becoming black-brown when dry, 4–22 cm long, enveloping the base of the petioles, fibrous when withered. Foliage leaves distinctly divided into petiole and lamina, solitary, 8–23 mm apart; petiole green, stiffly erect, 13–50 cm long, 3–5 mm in diameter, adaxially sulcate; leaf blade usually broadly ovate to ovate-oblong, (24–40) cm x (9–16) cm, light green, base broadly cuneate to cuneate, gradually tapering to the petiole, inequilateral, apex attenuate, margin entire, with prominent midvein on the lower surface and 4–5 inconspicuous secondary veins at both sides, lateral veins conspicuous when dry. Peduncle (specialized reproductive shoot) erect or declining, subterete, dull dirty purple, 5–9.5 cm long, with 5–7 bracts, bracts gradually wider from the base to the top of the peduncle, apex acuminate, the top three bracts adjacent to the peri gone, broadly ovate, purplish red with white mottling, (18–25) mm x (15–20) mm. Flower solitary, subsessile to pedunculate; perigone fleshy, deeply 16 ( occasionally 14 or 18) lobed apically; perigone tube alms bowl-shaped, 2–2.5 cm in length, 3.6–4 cm in diameter, outside white with purplish red spots, inside dark purple, mouth with 16 (occasionally 14 or 18) keels running from the base of the perigone lobes; lobes linear lanceolate, radially explanate, slightly curved inward at the base, subequal, arranged in two wheels, 6.5–7.6 cm long, 13–16 mm wide at the base, 1–2 mm wide at the apex, white with densely purplish red spots outside, blackish purple in the two margins, pale yellow in the middle and purplish mottled red at the base inside, each lobe base with an adaxial appendage; appendages pale yellow in the middle, with dark purple verrucose margin, protruding horizontally to the mouth of the perigone tube, 5–6 mm long, 6–7 mm wide. Stamens 16 (occasionally 14 or 18), opposite to the perigone lobes, sessile to subsessile, inserted at the bottom of the perigone tube; anther ovoid, yellowish, (4x2) mm, pollen sacs dehiscing laterally; pollen golden yellow. Pistil 10–12 mm long, peltate; ovary inconspicuous; style short, white, cylindrical, 2–2.5 mm tall, 5–6 mm in diameter; stigma fleshy, enlarged, 8–10 mm thick, 3.2–3.8 cm in diameter, margin gear-shaped, dark purple and upwardly-curved, with 32 (occasionally 28 or 36) dark purple, alternating large and small longitudinal ribs, upper surface central uplift zone 21–24 mm in diameter, center slightly concave, with 8 (occasionally 7 or 9) radiate, dark purple, petal-like ridges from the center to the margin in the central uplift zone, and a groove in each ridge, lower surface white, purple-red at the margin, with 32 (occasionally 28 or 36), alternating large and small longitudinal ribs. Berry subglobose, dense with soft spines on the surface, 2.8–3.5 cm in diameter.

Sourses:

Zhong et al. (2016) – Pl. Sci. J. 34(6): 843–848.

Gallery: