Aspidistra yunbiaoi C. R. Lin & Yan Liu 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lin, Chun-Rui
name: Xu, Wei-Bin
name: Huang, Yu-Song
name: Wang, Bing-Mou
name: Liu, Yan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Liliopsida
Asparagales
Asparagaceae
Aspidistra
Aspidistra yunbiaoi

description: Aspidistra yunbiaoi C.R. Lin & Yan Liu, sp. nov. (Fig. 5, 6)
TYPE:— CHINA. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Pingnan County, Malian Yao autonomous town, 110°19′ E, 23°55′ N, alt. 380 m, under the bamboo forest, not common, 18 July 2020, Chun-Rui Lin & Xue-Yu Huang 1035 (holotype: IBK!, isotype: IBK!, IBSC!).
Diagnosis:— Aspidistra yunbiaoi is morphologically similar to A. synpetala C.R. Lin & Yan Liu in Lin et al. (2019: 80), but differs by its longer petiole and larger leaf blade, perianth tube externally yellowish white with purplish red spots, stigma disc-shaped, upper surface white and with purplish red marking in center.
Herbs perennial, evergreen, rhizomatous. Rhizome creeping, subterete, 4–6 mm thick, nodes dense. Roots numerous. Vaginal leaves 4–5, purple-red, 2–12 cm long, enveloping base of petiole, becoming black-brown when dry. Leaves solitary, 1–2 cm apart; petiole stiff upright, 16–28 cm long, 2–3 mm thick, adaxially sulcate; leaf blade usually broadly ovate to ovate-oblong, 18–32 cm long, 7–12 cm wide, green, base broadly suborbicular, inequilateral, apex acuminate, margin entire, with prominent midvein on lower surface and 4–5 inconspicuous secondary veins at both sides. Peduncle erect or declining, purple, 0.8–2 cm long, with 5–7 bracts, bracts gradually wider from base to top of peduncle, the distal ones at base of perigone broadly ovate, purplish red, 9–12 mm long, 6–9 mm wide, apex obtuse. Flower solitary; perigone urceolate, fleshy, deeply 6 (or 8) lobed apically; lobes explanate, subequal, ovate-lanceolate, 6–8 mm long, 3–4.5 mm wide at base, both sides yellowish white with purplish red mottled densely to completely purplish red, each lobe basally with an adaxial, connect, white or purplish red appendage, appendages the bases explanate protruding horizontally over tube opening and reducing the opening to 3–4 mm; tube 8–10 mm long, 12–15 mm in diameter, externally yellowish white with purplish red spots, internally blackish purple. Stamens 6 (or 8), opposite to lobes, adpressed near the base of perianth tube, positioned conspicuously lower than stigma; anthers subsessile, ovate, ca. 2 mm long and ca. 1 mm wide, pollen yellowish white. Pistil mushroom-shaped, 4–6 mm long, ovary inconspicuous, style short, cylindrical, 1–2 mm long, stigma enlarged, fleshy, disc-shaped, hexagonal (or octagonal), 3–4 mm thick, 10–12 mm in diameter, upper surface slightly convex, white, with 3(or 4) radial, bifurcate, purplish red marking in center, its margin bent upwards, with 12 (or 16) longitudinal ribs, abaxially purplish red. Berry subglobose, 15–20 mm in diam, gray-brown to dull black, surface irregular tuberculate. Flowering from June to July, fruiting in the next year from July to August.
Etymology: — The species is named after its discoverer, Yun-Biao Liao who is a wild plant enthusiast in Guangxi. The Chinese name is given as “ Ę⁂ψƦṚDZDz ” (pinyin: dà yáo shân zhî zhű bào dàn)
Distribution and ecology:—At present, Aspidistra yunbiaoi is just known from Pingnan county in southeastern Guangxi, China. It grows under evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, beside the stream, in the river valley at elevation range of 350–420 m, not commonly.
Similar species:— Aspidistra yunbiaoi is similar to A. synpetala with the purplish red and urceolate perianth, but differs by its petiole 16–28 cm (vs. 10–18), leaf blade 18–32 × 7–12 cm (vs. 10–15 × 4.5–7), perianth tube externally yellowish white with purplish red spots (vs. purplish red), anthers ca. 2 × 1 mm (vs. 1 × 1), stigma disc-shaped, 3–4 mm thick (vs. bowl-shaped, 4–6 mm thick), upper surface white and with purplish red marking in center (vs. purple).
Additional specimens examined (paratype):— CHINA. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: Guilin City, Botany Garden of Guilin, taken to cultivation from the type locality, 12 April 2022, Chun-Rui Lin 1475 (IBK).
Pollen morphology:— The pollen grains are subspherical and inaperturate, pollen size is (31.11–) 33.89 (–37.09) × (26.67–) 31.86 (–35.15) μm (Fig. 9E). Pollen with rugulate exine, wrinkle edge is irregular, and with some irregular and uneven tuberculate processes (Fig. 9F).
description: Published as part of Lin, Chun-Rui, Xu, Wei-Bin, Huang, Yu-Song, Wang, Bing-Mou & Liu, Yan, 2023, Four new species of Aspidistra (Asparagaceae) from southern China, pp. 121-135 in Phytotaxa 587 (2) on page 130, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.587.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7734482