Aspidistra yuelushanensis L.Wu & X.L.Yu, 2021

Deng, Chuang-Fa, Wu, Lei, Yu, Xun-Lin, Xu, Yong-Fu & Li, Jia-Xiang, 2021, Aspidistra yuelushanensis (Asparagaceae), a new species from Hunan, China, Phytotaxa 482 (2), pp. 183-190 : 187

Aspidistra yuelushanensis L.Wu & X.L.Yu , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 & 2 ).

Type: — CHINA. Hunan: Changsha City, Yuelu district, Yuelu Mountain , under the evergreen forest, 28.184°N 112.931°E, 130 m, 19 March 2019, C. F . Deng et al. 19031901 (holotype CSFI069615 !, isotypes CSFI!, IBK!) .

Herbs perennial, evergreen, rhizomatous. Rhizome creeping, subterete, 7–11 mm in diam. Roots numerous. Vaginal leaves 5, purplish red, 1–13 cm long, becoming fibrous remnants covering the stem. Leaves solitary, 1.0– 3.5 cm apart; petiole stiff upright, 10–45 cm long, adaxially sulcate; blades elliptic-lanceolate, 28–45 × 4.5–8 cm, base cuneate, inequilateral, tapering to petioles, apex acuminate, margin entire, glabrous; midvein prominent at abaxial surface. Scape decumbent or declining, lightly purple reddish, 0.5–8.0 cm long, with 4–6 bracts; bracts broadly ovate, 7–8 × 6–7 mm, purple. Flower solitary; perigone campanulate, fleshy, 14–19 mm long, 13–17.5 mm in diam., abaxially purple-reddish; tube 11–13 mm long, 8.0– 10.5 mm in diam., adaxially with most portion purple-reddish; lobes 6, slightly recurved, adaxially yellow-whitish or pale purple-reddish, triangular-lanceolate, 5.5–8.5 mm long, 2.5–4.0 mm at base, apex obtuse or acute, each with 2 keels. Stamens 6, opposite to perigone lobes, inserted at ca. 2.0 mm from the base of the tube; filaments ca. 0.7 mm long, ca. 1.1 mm in diam., purple-reddish; anthers oblong-elliptical, dorsifixed, pale yellow, elliptic, ca. 3.15 mm long, ca. 1.68 mm wide. Pistil ca. 6.5 mm long; ovary inconspicuous; style purple-reddish or white, ca. 2.5 mm long; stigma enlarged, obconical, ca. 5.0 mm in diam., upper surface purplereddish, densely papillose, with 3 radial, usually bifurcate grooves, 3-lobed, lobes deeply concave. Fruit unknown.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, viz., Yuelu mountain. The Chinese name of the new species is ‘yùe-lù-shān-zhī-zhū-bào-dàn (岳#山¢%抱¶)’.

Phenology: —It flowers from February to March.

Distribution and ecology: —Until now, Aspidistra yuelushanensis are only found in three sites, all of which are for landscaping, viz., Yuelu Mountain (Central South University of Forestry and Technology and Hunan Forest Botanical Garden). We consulted the staff of Hunan Forest Botanical Garden and were told that the detailed introduction site was lost in their information bank of introduction. However, a retired worker of the garden who mainly worked on introduction was sure that the individuals were collected from the typical hilly red soil region around Changsha in his memories. We have tried to look for the wild individuals for several times, but failed. Therefore, a further field investigation is necessary for this species.

Specimens examined (paratypes):— CHINA. Hunan: Changsha City, Tianxin District, Central South University of Forestry and Technology , 28.138°N 112.991°E, 100 m, 27 March 2020, C. F. Deng et al. 20032701 ( CSFI!); Yuhua District , Hunan Forest Botanical Garden, 28.105°N 113.017°E, 94 m, 28 March 2020, C. F. Deng et al. 20032801 ( CSFI!); Yuelu Mountain , 28.184°N 112.931°E, 130 m, 2 April 2020, C. F. Deng et al. 20040201 ( CSFI!) .

Taxonomic relationships: — Aspidistra yuelushanensis is similar to A. chishuiensis He & Xu in Xu et al. (2010: 118), A. tenuifolia Lin & Yang in Meng et al. (2014: 289) and A. pingfaensis He & Sun in Sun et al. (2014: 33) in the shape of the flowers. However, the new species differs from the A. chishuiensis mainly by its stamens inserted at the base (vs. adnate to the middle) of perianth tube, filaments spreading horizontally or slightly upward and enlarged (vs. sessile), perianth lobes slightly outcurved (vs. slightly incurved), from A. tenuifolia in its stamens facing the ovary (vs. opposite to perigone lobes) and from A. pingfaensis in its leaf blade 28–45 × 4.5–8 (vs. 45−65 × 2−2.8) cm, stigma 5 (vs. 8−9) mm in diameter, densely papillose with 3 radial and bifurcate grooves (vs. slightly concave with 4 whitish radiate bifurcating lines). The new species is also similar to A. attenuata Hayata (1912: 145) , but differs from the latter mainly in its leaf blade elliptic-lanceolate (vs. oblanceolate, oblique), 28–45 × 4.5–8 (vs. 55–103 × 8.2–10.5) cm, perianth 14–19 × 13–17.5 (vs. ~26 × 35–40) mm, perianth lobes slightly outcurved (vs. reflexed), monocyclic (vs. usually in 2 whorls), stigma 3- (vs. 3- or 4-) lobed at margin, stigma 5 (vs. 6–13) mm in diameter. The detailed comparisons of the similarities are presented in Table 1. So far, 9 species of Aspidistra are recorded in Hunan province ( Wang et al. 1978, Liang & Tamura 2000, Qi & Yu 2002, Deng et al. 2010, Zhou et al. 2015). To better understand and identify the species from Hunan, a classification key is presented as follow.

Figures

FIGURE 1 Aspidistra yuelushanensis.A. habit; B. longitudinal sections of the flower showing pistil and stamens; C. peduncle and pistil; D. pistil, side view; E. stigma, face view. Drawn by Bi-Shan Li.

FIGURE 2 Aspidistra yuelushanensis. A. habit; B. flowers; C. flower, side view; D. dissected flower showing stamens and pistil; E. stamens; F. flower, face view; G. pistil, side view; H. stigma, face view. Scale bars: B = 2 cm; C = 1 cm; D and F = 5 mm; E, G and H = 2 mm