Name:

Aspidistra sessilistigma Aver., Wynn-Jones, N.H.Tuan, K.S.Nguyen, Tillich, V.D.Nguyen, Maisak & C.X.Canh, Nordic J. Bot. 2022(1)-e03372: 4 (2021).

Holotype:

 

Vietnam, Bac Kạn Province, Cho Don District, grows in moist limestone ravines at elevations about 350 m a.s.l., 1 Jun 2021, Chu Xuan Canh, s.n. (holotype LE 01122804 <http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=98633>, photos LE 01122736 <http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=95090>).

Distribution:

Vietnam: Bac Kạn province.

Phenology:

Flowers in June.

Description

from 

protologue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herbs perennial, evergreen, rhizomatous, terrestrial or lithophytic. Rhizome epigeous, plagiotropic, creeping, robust, (4)5–6(7) mm thick, (4.5)5.0–7.0(8.0) cm long, consisting of several subterete, irregularly swollen, subglabrous, manynodal sympodial segments, each (7)8–9(10) mm long and wide, 1–3 apical segments, covered with gray fibrous remnants of cataphylls, the youngest bearing 1 leaf petiole enveloped by (4)5–6(7) cataphylls. Cataphylls herbaceous, convolute, tubular, enveloping petiole base, (0.6)1.0–5.0(6.0) cm long, (1.0)1.5–2.0(2.5) cm wide (when flattened), uniformly grassy green. Leaves petiolate; petiole erect or oblique, straight, (3.5)4.0–6.0(7.0) cm long, (4.0)4.5–5.5(6.0) mm thick, adaxially sulcate, distally narrowly winged; leaf blade ovate or broadly elliptic, (14)15–20(22) cm long, (8)9–11(12) cm wide, narrowing at base and apex, uniformly grassy to dark green on both surfaces, rather rigid or coriaceous, straight or somewhat irregularly wavy along margin. Peduncle arising from apical part of rhizome, horizontal or suberect, white or white finely speckled with purple, (4.5)5.0–7.0(7.5) mm long, with (4)5(6) imbricate bracts; bracts cymbiform, enveloping peduncle, broadly ovate to reniform, round or truncate at apex, (0.8)1.0–1.5(1.8) cm long, (0.8)1.0–2.8(3.0) cm wide (being flattened), gradually widening from base to the apex of peduncle, uniformly pale green to pale violet. Flowers 1–2(3) per shoot, not much widely opening, uniformly dark dirty purple violet to almost black, with straight or slightly reflexed lobes; perianth fleshy, (1.4)1.5–1.7(1.8) cm long, 8-lobed apically; tube depressed urceolate (0.7)0.8–1.0(1.1) cm long, (1.8)2.0–2.2(2.4) cm wide, without keels and plain inside, distal opening (1.7)1.8–2.0(2.2) cm in diameter; lobes subequal in shape, ovate to triangular-ovate, (6.5)7.0– 8.0(8.5) mm long, (7.5)8.0(8.5) mm wide near base, narrowing into obtuse or blunt apex, somewhat glossy, outside smooth, finely warty, inside smooth, with 3–5 obscure shallow longitudinal grooves. Stamens 8; anthers sessile, merged onto the flat bottom of perianth tube below stigma, near style base, not touching each other, oblong narrowly ovate, (3.4)3.6–3.8(4.0) mm long, (1.4)1.6–1.8(2.0) mm wide, pale yellow, almost flat, facing upward. Pistil peltate; ovary very inconspicuous; style shortly cylindrical, 1.0–1.5 mm tall, 3.4–3.8 mm in diameter, pale reddish-purple; stigma entire, circular, unlobed in the form of a very thin disk, (1.6)1.7–1.8(1.9) cm in diameter, below pale dark violet to almost black, with 8 oblong pits corresponding to shape and position of anthers, upper surface pale yellow-brown, uniformly smooth and finely papillose. Fruits unknown.

Sourses:

Averyanov et al. (2021) – Nordic Journal of Botany: e03372

Gallery: