Peliosanthes macrostegia Hance (1885: 328)

Tanaka, Noriyuki, 2018, Taxonomic revision of Peliosanthes bakeri and P. violacea (Asparagaceae), with description of two new species from Bangladesh and India, Phytotaxa 356 (1), pp. 34-48 : 39-40

3. Peliosanthes macrostegia Hance (1885: 328)

Type:― CHINA. Guangdong: In jugo Lo-fau-shan, C. Ford s.n. in H. F. Hance 22282 (holotype BM-000958236*!).

Peliosanthes violacea var. clarkei Baker (1879: 504) , Wright (1909, t. 8276). Type (lectotype, designated here):― INDIA. Khasia, 3000 ft, 7 November 1872, C.B. Clarke 19345A (K-000099375!).

Peliosanthes delavayi Franchet (1896: 43) . Type (lectotype, designated here):― CHINA. Yunnan: Les bois à Long-ki, April 1894, P.J.M. Delavay 5141 (P-00753576*!). Isolectotypes:―P-00214601!, P-00753577*!, PE-00290242*!.

Additional specimens examined:― CHINA. Chongqing: Chengkou, elev. 625 m, 25 September 1958, T. L. Dai 103086 (PE-00290219*). Guangdong: 23 April 1977, G. L. Shi 12772 (IBSC-421051, not barcode); Lo-fau-shan, August 1885, C. Ford s.n., cultivated at Hongkong Bot. Gard. (K-000099351); Luofushan, 28 February 1930, N. Q. Chen 40628 (PE-00290227*). Guangxi: Rongshui Miaozu Zizhixian, Jiuwandashan, elev. 600 m, 23 April 1989, Beijing-dui 891834 (PE-01945991*); Tian’e, elev. 400 m, 5 May 1989, Beijing-dui 890867 (PE-02017771*). Guizhou: Pin-fa, 15 April 1903, J. Cavalerie 995 (E-00894732*). Hainan: Jian-feng-ling, 28 October 1982, S. Wong et al. 821040 (IBSC-526870, not barcode); Wuzhishan, 22 December 1933, Z. Huang 35816 (IBSC-83679, not barcode); Yaichow, 16 October 1933, H. Y. Liang 63263 (P-01851595*; IBSC-84095, not barcode). Hongkong: Taimoshan, 1984, G, Barretto 282, cultivated at Kadoorie Bot. Gard., 20 March 1986 (HK-34549, not barcode). Hunan: Yongshun Xian, elev. 300–400 m, 7 June 1988, Beijin-dui 001233 (PE-01340172*). Sichuan: Junlian Xian, elev. 900 m, 21 April 1959, collection record of Sichuan economic plants 0098 (without collector’s name) (PE-00036329*). Yunnan: Jinping, elev. 360 m, 21 April 1956, Zhong-Su-dui 767 (PE-00290250*); Les bois à Long-ki, April 1894, P. J. M. Delavay 4989 (K-000846026*–isolectoparatype of P. delavayi ; P-00214602–lectoparatype of P. delavayi ). INDIA. East Bengal, W. Griffith 5834 (NY-00319820*, P-00214612:–isolectoparatype of P. violacea var. minor ); Khasia, elev. 0–4000 ft, 8 November 1850, J.D. Hooker & T. Thomson s.n. (K-000099372–lectoparatype of P. violacea var. clarkei , p.p., the left individual only, the right leaf representing a different species); Mont. Khasia, elev. 0–4000 ft., J.D. Hooker & T. Thomson s.n. (P-00214606–isolectoparatype of P. violacea var. clarkei , p.p., as to the left individual, the right one is P. subspicata ); Khasia Hills, W. Griffith s.n. (K-000099373–lectoparatype of P. violacea var. clarkei ); Khasia, below Cachar, elev. 0–4000 ft., 1 December 1850, J.D. Hooker & T. Thomson s.n. (K-000099371–lectoparatype of P. violacea var. clarkei ); Khasiya, Lemann, 1844, W. Griffith 68 (K-000099374–lectoparatype of P. violacea var. clarkei ). MALAYSIA. Selangor. Batu Caves, 3 November 1953, [fr.], J. Sinolair 40059 (L-0068845). SINGAPORE. Cult. in Singapore Bot. Gard., 1893, H. N. Ridley s.n. (SING-048130*, not barcode). THAILAND. Kanchanaburi, Kwae Noi River Basin, near Neeckey, near Wangka, elev. 150 m, 11 May 1946, G. den Hoed 462 (P-00214615, L-1449924*); Satul, Kao Keo Range, elev. ca. 700 m, 13 March 1928, A. F. G. Kerr 14537 (P-00214614).

Distribution:― China (Chongqing, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hongkong, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan), NE India, Malaysia ( Ridley 1898, 1907, 1924, as P. violacea ; Wright 1909, as P. violacea var. clarkei ), Singapore ( Ridley 1898, 1907, 1924, as P. violacea ), Thailand, Vietnam ( Averyanov et al. 2016b).

Habitat:―Shady and moist places in evergreen forests at elevations up to 1220 m. Conservation status of this species in Vietnam was tentatively assessed by Averyanov et al. (2016b) as LC (Least Concern) in IUCN (2001).

Phenology:―Flowering in (October–)November–June; fruiting in October–December.

Taxonomic relationships:― Peliosanthes violacea var. clarkei markedly differs from the other three varieties of the same species chiefly by the dark purplish perigone and in the shape of the staminal corona and pistil. It should therefore be treated as a species independent from them. Peliosanthes violacea var. clarkei appears basically similar in various morphological characters (e.g. perigones, staminal coronas, pistils, leaves, rhizomes) to both P. delavayi and P. macrostegia described from southern China, it is hence regarded here as conspecific with them. Peliosanthes violacea var. clarkei is also very closely allied to P. neilgherrensis Wight (1853 : t. 2052) described from the southwestern part of India (e.g., Wight 2819, K-000099348!). However, it differs by the floriferous stem much shorter than the leaves (vs. about equalling the leaves), larger leaves, and conic or hemispheric, apically nearly entire or slightly lobed staminal coronas (vs. almost erect, denticulate coronas).