Aspidistra cadamensis N.S.Lý & Tillich, 2017

Lý, Ng ọc-Sâm & Tillich, Hans-Juergen, 2017, Aspidistra cadamensis (Asparagaceae), a new species from Central Vietnam, Phytotaxa 303 (1), pp. 84-88 : 84-85

Aspidistra cadamensis N.S.Lý & Tillich sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Type:— VIETNAM. Qu ảng Ngãi Province : Tây Trà District , Trà Trung Commune , Cà Đam mountains, Bà Noong stream, 15°09.344 N, 108°27.723 E, 1.008 m elev., 25 September 2016, Lý Ngọc Sâm and TrƯƠng Bá VƯƠng, Lý-818 (holotype VNM!; isotypes P!, VNM!) .

Perennial rhizomatous herb, 50–80 cm tall. Rhizome creeping, unbranched, epigeous, with dense short internodes, 4–10 mm in diameter, dark brown, with many roots, 3–8 mm in diameter. Cataphylls ca. 5, ovate-oblong, up to 11 cm long, the inner ones longer than the outer ones near the base, purple to dark red-purple, whitish towards base, later straw-brown. Leaves solitary, 0.5–1 cm apart, distinctly divided into petiole and lamina; petiole stiff, 19.7–46 cm long, green, ventrally with shallow v-shaped furrow at base, basally 4–6 mm swollen, purple-red to black purple; lamina sometimes with yellowish spots, broadly ovate to elliptic-ovate, slightly asymmetric at base, 22–33 cm long and 7.5–9 cm at widest point, tapering into acuminate apex with a minute spine ca. 0.2 mm long, base cuneate or obtuse, adaxially dark-green, semi-glossy, abaxially light green, semi-glossy, mid vein strongly prominent on abaxial surface, each half of lamina with 4–6 prominent secondary veins, between them 4–8 fine-tertiary nerves with numerous anastomoses, margin almost entire, minutely serrate at apex. Flowers (1‒)2–6, arising from apex of rhizome, obliquely upright to horizontal, 10–11.5 mm long, ca. 15 mm in diameter. Peduncle slender, thin, obliquely upright to horizontal, 1–10 cm long, 1–1.5 mm in diam., purple or black-purple, with 5–7 scale bracts, broadly triangular, 3-veined, abaxially red-purple with whitish spots, adaxially paler, glabrous, margin membranous, translucent white, papery, apex cucullate; 3–4 bracts at base, 2–3 mm long, 3–4 mm wide at base, a single scale at the middle to the upper third, distally with 2–3 subtending bracts, 5.5–7.5 mm long, 5–8 mm wide at base. Perigone tube campanulate, fleshy, 6–7 mm long, 7–8 mm in diam., externally mainly whitish or cream-white with purple or red-purple dots towards the upper third, smooth, semi-glossy at the basal half, internally cream-white at basal half, purple-red toward apex; lobes 6, nearly equal, recurved, fleshy, triangular-ovate, 3.5–4.7 mm long, 3.2–5 mm broad at base, apex obtuse, externally purple-red with whitish spots, glabrous, somewhat verrucose, internally purple-red, margin and apex sometimes whitish, with 2- keels running to the upper third of perigone tube, finely verrucose; tube wall and lobes ca. 0.2 mm thick. Stamens 6, inserted at the basal third of perigone tube, positioned lower than stigma, arranged at the same radii with lobes; anthers sessile, ovate, 1.4–1.6 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide near the base, yellow, latrorse, thecae separated by whitish connective tissue, without a connective appendage; pollen orange-yellow. Pistil widely obconical, 7–8 mm tall, filling nearly completely the space of tube, ovary indistinct; style stout, shortly cylindrical, ca. 2 mm tall, ca. 1.2 mm in diameter, white; stigma fleshy, 6–7 mm in diameter, composed of three lobes firmly adpressed to each other, with 9–12 teeth at margin corresponding to abaxial ridges, apical surface somewhat concave, white, with irregular radial ridges formed during the flowers aging process, margins and lower part purplish-red, abaxially with 12 longitudinal ridges forming deep furrows in between. Fruiting peduncles stiff, 2.5–10 cm long, 1.5–2 mm in diameter, whitish-purple, tinged green-purple or black-purple. Mature fruits globose-obovoid, 7–9 mm long, to 12 mm in diam., tinged green-purple when young, purple-black when ripe, surface rugose, tuberculate, densely prickly with spines up to 4.5 mm long; seeds wedge-shaped, 6–6.5 mm long, 4–5 mm wide at widest point, whitish.

Distribution and ecology:―Currently known only from the type locality, where many subpopulations of scattered mature clumps of non-flowering, flowering and/-or fruiting plants of Aspidistra cadamensis were rather frequent around Cà Đam mountains. For this reason, we believe that this new species can be considered as locally abundant. It grows on hill slopes composed of sandstone at 830–1000 m elev., under the canopy and near stream of lower primary evergreen broad-leaved forests.

Phenology:― Aspidiatra cadamensis was observed flowering and with mature fruits in later July to later September.

Conservation status:―Data Deficient (DD). Four fairy large populations, with a total of about 500 individuals of the new species were found in a total area of less than 5 km 2 in Cà Đam mountains. This area is under the protection of the local authorities of the Department of forest protections in Tây Trà and Trà Bồng Districts, Quảng Ngãi Province, and all recognised populations are more or less stable in their strength. However, human activities by local people as harvesting of timber and non-forest products, especially clearing of forest land for Acacia Mill. (1754: 25) , plantations have negative impacts on this species. According to the IUCN Red list criteria ( IUCN, 2012), we therefore propose here the conservation status of A. cadamensis as data deficient (DD). Further field work of the area around Cà Đam mountains is needed to understand the situation better and amend the conservation status if necessary.

Etymology:―The specific epithet is named after the locality where this new species was found.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):― VIETNAM. Qu ảng Ngãi Province : Tây Trà District , Trà Trung Commune , Vàng Village , Cà Đam mountains, Bà Noong stream, 15°09.344′N, 108°27.723′E, 1008 m elev., 25 September, 2016, Lý Ngọc Sâm and TrƯƠng Bá VƯƠng, Lý-823 ( VNM!) ; the same locality, 14°09.342′N, 108°27.669′E, 939 m elev., 29 July 2016, Lý Ngọc Sâm and TrƯƠng Bá VƯƠng, Lý-786 ( VNM!) ; the same locality, 15°09.260′N, 108°27.528′E, 846 m elev., 29 July 2016, Lý Ngọc Sâm and TrƯƠng Bá VƯƠng, Lý-789 ( VNM!) .

Notes:― Aspidistra cadamensis is most similar to A. chishuiensis He & Xu (2010: 118) , from Asphole National NR, Guizhou, China ( Xu et al. 2010), in having the same habit (rhizome unbranched, leaves solitary), the leaf shape and it’s petiole length, the campanulate flowers, the ovate shape of lobes, filaments missing, and especially with the widely obconical pistil with deep longitudinal furrows and short style, but differs in the smaller perigone tube as wide as or wider than tall, and coloured white and red-purple, perigone lobes recurved, with keels from apex of lobes to the upper third of tube, stamens attached at basal third of perigone tube, and fruits densely prickly with spines. Aspidistra cadamensis is also similar A. yizhouensis Pan & Lin (2016: 85) , from limestone mountains, Guangxi, China in the plant and inflorescence habit, the shape of lobes and pistils. The latter species is distinct from the new species in its short petioles, oblong leaves, urceolate flowers, dark purplish red perigone tube with keels from base of lobes to the bottom of perigone tube, filaments present, and stamens attached at base of perigone tube.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Aspidistra cadamensis N.S.Lý & Tillich. A. Plant in natural habit; B. Front view of flower; C. Side view of flower with peduncle; D. Basal part of the plant with flowers arising from the rhizome; E. Basal part with young fruit arising from the rhizome; F. Mature fruits arising from the rhizome. G. Portion of basal part and rhizome of plant showing flower and dried cataphyll; H. Flattened plant; I. Leaf blade, abaxial surface, base obtuse (I1), base cuneate (I2); J. Flower with peduncle and scales; K.Sterile bract; L.Longitudinal section of perigone showing stamens attached at basal third of tube; M. Longitudinal section of flower showing side view of pistil; N. Pistil and stamens, side view (N1) and side view of pistil (N2); O. Basal half of the perigone with stamens; P1. Stigma, view from above, P2. Stigma, at aging stage, view from above; Q. Cross-section of fruit; R. Seeds. J–M, N–P, and Q–R share the same scale, respectively.