Aspidistra luofushanensis C.R. Lin, Z.R. Liu & Y.B. Zeng

Liu, Zhi-Rong, Lin, Chun-Rui, Huang, Xiao-Sa, Zeng, Yun-Bao, Meng, De-Chang & Mo, Fu- Yan, 2024, Aspidistra luofushanensis (Asparagaceae), a new species from Guangdong, China, Phytotaxa 641 (1), pp. 66-72 : 67-71

Aspidistra luofushanensis C.R. Lin, Z.R. Liu & Y.B. Zeng , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 , 2 )

Type:— CHINA. Guangdong: Huizhou City, Boluo County, Luofushan Provincial Nature Reserve , 114°01’E 23°16’N, at elevation about 850 m, 23 April 2022, Zhi-Rong Liu & Chun-Rui Lin 1499 (holotype IBK, isotypes IBK, GNU) .

Paratype:— CHINA. Guangdong: Heyuan City, Zijin County, Baixi Provincial Nature Reserve , 115.23°E 23.73°N, 620 m, 17 May 2019, Chun-Rui Lin & Bing-Mou Wang 1318 ( IBK) ; Heyuan City, Yuancheng District, Daguishan Provincial Nature Reserve , 114.62°E 23.73°N, 980 m, 18 June 2022, Zhi-Rong Liu, Zhao-Cen Lu & Chun-Yu Zou 1562 ( IBK) ; Huizhou City, Boluo County, Luofu Mountain . on shady reclined slopes closely the stream, 114.05°E 23.28°N, 475 m, 19 May 2023, Yun-Bao Zeng 0519 ( IBK, fruit) .

Diagnosis:— The new species is similar to A. punctata , but differs by perianth purplish red to dark purple on both sides, lobes suberect or slightly bending inward, stamens ovate or subglobose and pollen sacs facing upwards, pistil umbrella shaped, upper surface white to light purplish red of sigma with margin lobes revolute slightly.

Description:— Herbs rhizomatous. Rhizome creeping, subterete, 4–7 mm thick, covered with scales, nodes dense. Roots numerous. Vaginal leaves 4–6, light green, 2–10 cm long, enveloping base of petiole, becoming black brown when dry. Leaves solitary, 1–1.5 cm apart; petiole stiff, upright, 14–32 cm long, ca. 2 mm thick, adaxially sulcate; blade oblong or long lanceolate, 34–52 cm long, 4.5–6.8 cm wide, green, often with small yellowish white spots, apex acuminate, base cuneate, gradually tapering to petiole, inequilateral, margin entire, mid vein strongly prominent on abaxial surface, secondary veins 3–4 on each side. Peduncle erect or declining, 5–35 mm long, with 4–5 bracts, bracts white and often with purplish red spots to purplish red, gradually wider from base to top of peduncle, the topmost one broadly ovate, 4–6 mm long, 8–12 mm wide, apex obtuse. Perianth fleshy, broad cup-shaped, 10–12 mm long, purplish red to dark purple on both sides, internally finely papillose, 6-lobed apically; lobes usually suberect, sometimes slightly inward bending, subequal, ovate-triangular, 5–6 mm long, 4–5 mm wide at base, apex obtuse, adaxially with two indistinct keels near the base, extending to the middle of the perianth tube; tube 4–6 mm long, 14–16 mm in diameter at upper opening. Stamens 6, opposite to lobes, inserted at the base of perianth tube, around the base of style, significantly lower than stigma; filaments 1–1.5 mm long, white, anthers adnate, ovoid or subglobose, ca. 2 mm long and 2 mm wide, pollen sacs facing upwards, pollen yellow. Pistil umbrella-shaped, fleshy, 7–9 mm long, ovary inconspicuous, style short, white, cylindrical, 2–3 mm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter, stigma enlarged, 6–7 mm long, upper surface white, with purple red spots frequently to completely light purplish red, slightly flat and glabrous, 9–11 mm in diameter, with 3 inconspicuous radial, bifurcate lines at center, slightly undulated 6-lobed at margin, lobes subequal, apex revolute and touching the base of the perigone, lower surface white with purplish red mottled along revolute margin to purplish red completely. Fruit subglobose, 10–15 mm in diameter, dull green to greenish-brown, surface irregularly tuberculate at maturity.

Phenology:— Flowers in April–May, and mature fruits in May next year.

Etymology:— The specific epithet ‘ luofushanensis ’ is derived from the name of the type locality. The Chinese name is given as ‘ y浮山Þặ抱¶ ’(Chinese pinyin: Luó fú shān zhī zhū bào dàn).

Distribution and ecology: —The new species is known only from the type locality in Huizhou City allied to Heyuan City, in northeast Guangdong, China. It grows on shady slopes under evergreen broad-leaved forests at elevations 400–1000 m.

Pollen morphology:— The pollen grains are subspherical and inaperturate, pollen size is 34.8–38.8 (35.2) × 34.2–36.6 (34.4) μm ( Fig. 2A ). Pollen with verrucose exine, the verrucous closely arranged and its surface is smooth. ( Fig. 2B ).

Similar species:— Aspidistra luofushanensis is similar to A. punctata Lindley (1826: 977 , Figs. 2C–D , 3 ), but differs by perianth purplish red to dark purple (vs. light green with purple spots) outside, perianth lobes suberect or slightly bending inward (vs. reflexed), stamens ovate or subglobose (vs. oblong), pistil umbrella-shaped (vs. mushroom-shaped), sigma upper surface white to light purplish red (vs. white) and lobes apex revolute (vs. flat). It is also related to Aspidistra truongii Aver. & Tillich (2013: 108) , but differs by the perianth tube 14–16 mm (vs. 25–35 mm) in diameter, perianth lobes suberect or slightly bending inward (vs. reflexed), pollen sacs facing upwards (vs. laterally), sigma upper surface glabrous (vs. finely verrucose) and slightly undulated 6 lobed (vs. shallowly 3 lobed) at margin, fruit surface irregularly tuberculate (vs. rugose, tuberculate to thorny). A detailed comparison of the three species is presented in Table 1 .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Aspidistra luofushanensis: (A) Habit; (B) Fruit; (C) Individual plant; (D) Flower, apical view (stigma surface light purplish red); (E) Flower, apical view (stigma surface white); (F–G) Flower, side view; (H) Flower dissection showing stamens; (I) Flower dissection to show pistil; (J) stamens; (K) Pistil; (L) Stigma, top view; (M) Stigma, bottom view.

FIGURE 2. Pollen morphology of Aspidistra: (A–B) A. luofushanensis; (C–D) A. punctata.

FIGURE 3. Aspidistra punctata: (A) Habit; (B) Flowers with 8 lobes; (C) Flower with 6 lobes; (D–E) Flower, side view; (F) Stamens; (G) Flower, dissected opened to show pistil and stamens; (H) Pistil; (I) Stigma, top view; (J) Stigma, bottom view. Photos A–D by Mr. Wei-Jun Chen.