Name:

Aspidistra ventricosa Tillich & Škorničk. – Gard. Bull. Singapore 66(1): 28. (2014).

Holotype:

 

 

Vietnam, Ninh Thuận Province, Bình Tiên District, Công Hải Commune, Núi Chúa National Park, 11°46′44.8″N 109°10′44.5″E, 97 m asl, 31 Oct 2013, Jana LeongŠkorničková, Nguyễn Quốc Bình, Aung Thame & Edward Ong JLS-2581 (holotype SING, including a flower in liquid collection; isotypes M, VNMN).

Distribution:

Vietnam: Ninh Thuận province.

Phenology:

Flowers in September–October, fruits in October–November in cultivation.

Description

from 

protologue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhizomatous herb up to 50 cm tall. Rhizome epigeous, with very short internodes, 5–10 mm diam., with many swollen roots (up to 7 mm in diam). Leaves crowded, cataphylls deep purple when young, ribbed, up to 10 cm long; petiole up to 35 cm long, stout, stiff, ventrally with a furrow, deeper in apical part, shallower towards the base, basal 5–7 mm swollen; blade elliptic to ovate, slightly unequal, 15–25 × 4.5–9 cm, apex acute to attenuate, base obtuse to attenuate, mid-green, semi-glossy above, slightly lighter beneath with strongly protruding midvein, secondary veins visible but not prominent, margin very minutely serrate towards apex, making the margin somewhat sharp to touch. Peduncle up to 3.5 cm long, semi-erect, white, with 6 scales, 3 subtending the flower (white with purple tinge) and 3 along the scape (white). Perigone upright, tube urceolate, deep purple internally and externally, c. 17 mm in diameter, with nearly flat, fleshy base, distal opening c. 6 mm; lobes 6, triangular, reflexed, in a single whorl, upper surface finely verrucose, each with three sharp ridges, lobes c. 4–5 mm long, 5–6 mm wide at base. Stamens 6, inserted at base of the tube, completely covered by stigma; anthers on short white filaments, anther thecae c. 1 mm long; pollen bright yellow. Pistil table shaped; style cylindrical, c. 2 mm long, cream-coloured; stigma more or less circular, c. 15 mm in diameter, the upper surface is rough with projections, cream-coloured with purple tinge, the lower surface is smooth, its cream-coloured centre is star-shaped with 6 larger and 6 alternating smaller tips (see comment below), margin richly tinged with purple. Fruit almost spherical, 1.7–2 cm diam., green with purple tinge, more or less smooth at base, with irregular protrusions on the upper half; seeds 6, wedge-shaped, light brown.

Sourses:

Leong-Škorničková et al. (2014) – Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 66(1): 27–37.

Gallery: