Aspidistra yizhouensis P. Pan & C.R. Lin, 2016

Pan, Bo, Lu, Zhao-Cin, Ma, Hu-Sheng & Lin, Chun-Rui, 2016, Aspidistra yizhouensis sp. nov. (Asparagaceae) from limestone areas in Guangxi, China, Phytotaxa 246 (1), pp. 85-89 : 85-87

Aspidistra yizhouensis P. Pan & C.R. Lin , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Type: — China. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yizhou City , limestone mountains, rare, elev. 210 m, 24°32 ′ 51 ″ N, 108°17 ′ 6 ″ E, 20 May 2015, Bo Pan P253 (holotype: IBK!; isotype: IBK!) .

Herbs perennial, evergreen, rhizomatous. Rhizome creeping, subterete, 8–10 mm thick, covered with scales, nodes dense. Sheathing leaves 4–5, purple-red, 1–8cm long, enveloping base of petiole, becoming black-brown when dry. Leaves solitary, ca. 1 cm apart; petiole stiff upright, 6–12 cm long, 3–4 mm thick, adaxially sulcate; leaf blade usually oblong, 19–23 cm long, 5–6.5 cm wide, dark green, base cuneate, inequilateral, apex acuminate, margin entire. Peduncle purplish red, decumbent or declining, 2–3 cm long, with 5–6 bracts, bracts gradually wider from base to top of peduncle, the two bracts at base of perianth broadly ovate-cucullated, purplish red, 6–8 mm long, 5–6 mm wide, apex subobtuse. Flowers solitary, numerous; perianth urceolate, 13–15 mm long, fleshy, dark purplish red outside; lobes 6, usually explanate, ovate, 5–6 mm long, 4–5 mm wide at base, obtuse at apex, adaxially yellow, and with 2 prominent keels from base to the bottom of perigone tube; tube 9–10 mm long, 15–18 mm in diameter, inside purplish red and verrucose. Stamens 6, opposite to lobes, inserted at the base of perianth tube, positioned lower than stigma, filaments horizontal, ca. 0.6 mm long, anthers ovate, pale yellow, 2–3 mm long and 1–1.5 mm wide. Pistil obconical, purplish red with yellow at base, ca. 6 mm long, ovary inconspicuous, stigma enlarged, glabrous, ca. 10 mm in diameter, upper surface shallowly convex and with 3 radial, bifurcate, yellow lines, slightly 6-lobed at margin, abaxially longitudinally 12-ridged. Flowering from May to June.

Distribution and ecology: —This new species is currently known only from Yizhou City Lalang Township. It grows on shaded rocky limestone slopes at elevation of 190–260 m in broad-leaved forests, the main dominant trees species was Cyclobalanopsis glauca (Thunb.) Oersted ( Fagaceae ), and together with shrubs and herbaceous species like Ficus cyrtophylla Wall. ex Miq. ( Moraceae ), Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich. ( Urticaceae ), Chirita subrhomboidea W. T. Wang ( Gesneriaceae ), Phyllagathis longearistata C. Chen ( Melastomataceae ), Stephania kuinanensis Lo et M. Yang ( Menispermaceae ), Hoya villosa Costantin ( Asclepiadaceae ), Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C. Presl ( Nephrolepidaceae ) and Neolepisorus ovatus (Wall. ex Bedd.) Ching ( Polypodiaceae ).

Taxonomic relationships: — Aspidistra yizhouensis is similar to A. fungilliformis Y. Wan (1984: 165) , but has perianth urceolate vs. campanulate, lobes adaxially yellow vs. white, pistil obconical vs. mushroom-shaped, stigma upper surface purplish red and with 3 yellow, radial, bifurcate lines vs. white with 3 radial, bifurcate lines, abaxially longitudinally 12- ridged. A. yizhouensis is also similar to A. triradiata N. Vislobokov (2015: 269) in floral shape. A detailed comparison to distinguish the three species is presented in Table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Aspidistra yizhouensis. A. flowering plant. B. perigone, dissected opened to show stamens and pistil. C. flower, side view. D. pistil. E. stigma upper view and abaxial view. Drawn by Wen-Hong Lin from the holotype.

FIGURE 2. Aspidistra yizhouensis. A. flowers. B. habitat. C. Flower, side view. D. pistil. E. perigone, dissected opened to show stamens and pistil. F. stigma, abaxial view. G. stigma, upper view.