Rohdea longianthera F.Z. Feng & W.B Liao

Hu, Li Juan, Zhang, Gao Cheng, Bi, Ming Hui, Chu, Hong Bo & Feng, Hui Zhe, 2024, Rohdea longianthera (Asparagaceae), a new species from Central Yunnan, China, Phytotaxa 661 (2), pp. 204-210 : 206-208

Rohdea longianthera F.Z. Feng & W.B Liao , sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 )

Diagnosis: — Rohdea longianthera is characterized by the anthers inserted near apex of tube, 2.5–3 mm long and sharply inflexed incrassate deltoid perianth lobes of which the margin are entire, thick.

Type: — CHINA. Yunnan province, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Dadiji town (大地ª乡), Hetaojing (mūā), elevation about 1750 m a.s.l., 2 April 2023, H. Z. Feng Feng-202404-05 (holotype, SYS!).

Description: —Chamaephytic herb. Rhizome cylindrical, up to c. 4 cm in diameter. Roots fibrous, stout, up to 5 mm in diameter. Leaves narrowly oblanceolate, acute at apex, subcoriaceous, 25–105 cm long, 4–8 cm broad. Cataphylls 2–3. Peduncle strict, trigonous, sometimes with 4–6 sterile bract (to 1.3–2 cm long) shortly below inflorescence, 23–43 cm long. Spikes oblong, with c. 80 flowers, 4.5–7 cm long. Bracts 2 per flower, somewhat fleshy, membranous and whitish at margin; outer bract 1, borne shortly below flower, cuculate, deltoid, narrowly deltoid or lanceolate, acute to obtuse at apex, shorter than perianth, to 4–5.5 mm long; inner bract (bracteole) 1, smaller, deltoid or narrowly deltoid, c. 2–2.5 mm long. Flowers scented, ca. 9× 5 mm; perianth turbinate or obovoid, incrassate, green; lobes deltoid, acute at apex, incurved or abruptly inflexed above, entire and not markedly becoming thin at margin, scarcely imbricate at base, 3–3.5 mm long, 2–2.5 mm broad; tube cupulate, 5.5–6 mm long. Stamens 6, adnate; anthers dithecous, oblong or lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm long; filaments terete, inclined inward, inserted near apex of tube, 0.3–0.5 mm long. Pistil 3.5–4 mm long; stigma trisected, as high as lower part of anthers; style columnar, 1.5–2 mm long; ovary globose, 2 mm long; ovules 2–4 in each locule.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the longer anthers.

Habitat and phenology: —Primary and secondary broad-leaved evergreen forests, at elevation 1700–1900 m a.s.l. Terrestrial herb grows in understory with deep humus. Flowering in April–May.

Distribution and conservation: —Southwest China (Yunan province, Chuxiong). Local endemic to Yunnan. Kunming Institute of Botany (KUN) and Teikyo University introduced ( Tanaka 2010). In observed locations locally common. Estimated IUCN red list status: ‘Least Concern’ (LC).

Note: — Rohdea longianthera is very similar to R. longipedunculata , both having very long peduncle. But in fact, R. longianthera has sharply inflexed perianth lobes (vs. perianth lobes ectoflexed), anthers 2.5–3 mm long (vs. anthers ca. 1.2 mm long), filaments inserted near apex of tube (vs. filaments inserted near base of lobes), style columnar, 1.5–2 mm long (vs. style inconspicuous), which are distinct from R. longipedunculata .

Except Rohdea longipedunculata , in the genus, R. eucomoides ( Baker 1875: 581, t. 19) N. Tanaka (2003: 332), R. siamensis (Yamashita & M.N. Tamura 2001: 183) Yamashita & M.N. Tamura (2004: 369) and R. yunnanensis (F.T. Wang & S. Yun Liang in Wang & Tang 1978: 249) Yamashita & M.N. Tamura (2004: 369) also have longer peduncles. But R. siamensis and R. eucomoides are characterized by the long subulate floral bracts which are far exceeding the flowers and which can be clearly distinguished from the new species and the bracts in R. yunnanensis usually with 1 or 2 teeth at middle of margin and the blade margin serrated, perianth tube throat with a thin ring of widened filaments, but in the new species the bracts entire, flower tube-shaped, and smooth inside. In R. delavayi ( Franchet 1896: 40) N. Tanaka (2003: 331) the flower is tubular-campanulate and filaments are inserted near apex of tube which similar to new species. But in the new species, the pedicel is 15–45 cm long, the leaves are oblong-oblanceolate, smooth and the perianth lobes sharply inflexed and margin entire, so they can be easily distinguished. Detailed morphological differences among the compared species in Yunnan province are shown in Table 1 .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Rohdea longianthera. A: Habit. B & C: inflorescences. D: Flower, side view. E: Flower, front view. F: Flower, longitudinal section and pistil removed. G: Flower, front view and lobes removed. H: Flower, longitudinal section. I: A part of flower, longitudinal section and side view. J: Pistil, side view. K: Pistil, top view.