Aspidistra duanensis Bo Pan, C.R.Lin & W.B.Xu

Lin, Chun-Rui, Lu, Zhao-Cen, Pan, Bo, Wan, Xin-Yu, Xu, Wei-Bin & Liu, Yan, 2024, Five new species of Aspidistra (Asparagaceae) from Guangxi, China, Phytotaxa 652 (2), pp. 100-114 : 106-108

3. Aspidistra duanensis Bo Pan, C.R.Lin & W.B.Xu , sp. nov. ( Fig. 4 )

Type:— CHINA, Guangxi: Du’an Yao Autonomous County, Dongmiao Town, in the shade on the foot of limestone hill, around point 108.0097° E, 23.9590° N, at elevation about 470 m, 20 April 2023, Bo Pan 220907 (holotype: IBK00461675 ).

Diagnosis:— The new species is morphologically similar to A. longanensis , but differs by the petiole longer to 35–45 cm, lobes basally appendages spreading to cover the opening of the perianth tube, stigma upper surface flat.

Herbs perennial, evergreen, rhizomatous. Rhizome creeping, subterete, 6–8 mm in diameter, nodes dense. Leaf sheath 4–5, purple-red, 2–10 cm long, enveloping base of petiole, becoming black-brown when dry. Leaves solitary, ca. 1cm apart; petiole stiff upright, 30–45 cm long, ca. 5 mm thick, adaxially sulcate; leaf blade usually oblong to ovatelanceolate, 26–32 × 12.5–15 cm, green, apex cuspidate to acuminate, base suborbicular or broadly cuneate, abruptly narrow into petiole, inequilateral, margin entire, mid vein strongly prominent on abaxial surface, each half of lamina with 6–8 prominent secondary veins. Peduncle decumbent, purplish red, 1–2.5 cm long, with 4–6 bracts, bracts gradually wider from base to top of peduncle, the two most basal bracts ones of perianth broadly ovate-cucullate, pale green with purplish red spots, 6–7 mm long, 8–10 mm wide, apex acuminate. Flowers solitary; perianth urceolate or nearly globular sometimes, fleshy, abaxially yellowish-white at base and with purplish red spots with increasing density from base to top; lobes 8, slightly excurved, adaxially yellow and with purplish red speckles at base, triangular lanceolate, distinctly 2-whorled, those of outer whorl 8–9 mm long and 4–5 mm wide at base, those of the inner whorl smaller, subobtuse at apex, each lobe basally with an adaxial, purplish red, oblong appendage, ca. 6 mm long and 3–4 mm wide, apex 3–4 denticulate, appendages protruding horizontally or obliquely to cover the opening of the perianth tube; tube 12–14 mm long, greatest 15–17 mm diam., adaxially deep purplish red, densely white, long pubescence. Stamens 8, opposite to lobes, inserted at ca. 2 mm from the base of perianth tube, positioned conspicuously lower than stigma; anthers subsessile, yellow, ovate, ca. 3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. Pistil 6–7 mm long, ovary indistinct, style cylindrical, short, ca. 1 mm long, 3–4 mm in diameter, stigma obconical, enlarged, light yellow, 5–6 mm high, 13–15 m in diam., upper surface flat, with 4 radial, bifurcate, slightly convex longitudinal ridges, and purplish red in the center, 8 toothed lobed at margin, abaxially with 8 longitudinal ribs.

Phenology:— Flowering in April to May.

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the type locality of this new species. The Chinese name is given as‘ ǿ ẙǵƦḂã ’(Chinese pinyin: dū ān zhī zhū bào dàn).

Distribution and ecology:— Aspidistra duanensis is currently known only from the type locality, Hechi City, Du’an County, Guangxi, China ( Fig.1 : circle). It grows on shade slope of limestone hills, under secondary evergreen broad-leaved forest, at elevation of 400– 500 m.

Conservation status:— According to multiple field investigations, we have observed only a small population of A. duanensis were encountered.Although it’s small population size, restricted distribution and karst endemic, however, data available for the new species are still insufficient to assess its conservation status. According to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2022), it is considered Data Deficient (DD) until more information becomes available. Aspidistra duanensis has tall and emerald green leaves and unique flower structures, which have potential good ornamental value in gardens, therefore, special attention should be given to the conservation of the new species.

Notes:— Aspidistra duanensis is morphologically most similar to A. longanensis Y. Wan in Wan (1985:151) with the leaf blade and perianth shaped, but differs by its petiole longer to 35–45 cm (vs. 9–17.5 cm), perianth lobes basally appendages spreading to cover the opening of the perianth tube (vs. incurved to reducing the opening to 2–3 mm), stigma upper surface flat (vs. convex with 4 protrusions prominent in the center).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of Aspidistra longjiangensis (star), A. erythropoecila (triangle), A. duanensis (circle), A. yachangensis (halfmoon) and A. polypetala (diamond).

FIGURE 4. Aspidistra duanensis: (A) plant; (B) flower; (C) flower lateral view; (D) flower apical view; (E) perianth with oblong appendage; (F) flower with half of perianth removed showing pistil; (G) perianth dissected to show stamens; (H) perianth lobe lateral view; (I) stigma top view; (J) stigma bottom view; (K) stamens; (L) stigma lateral view.