Tên Khoa học: Aspidistra khangii Aver. et Tillich
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Shoot erect, stout, unbraned, 6 – 10(12) cm tall, 1 – 2 cm in diameter, densely nodal, with many thick, rigid, spirally arranged, semi-woody, straight to slightly curved prop roots, 5 – 12 cm long before entering the soil and then freely branching. Cataphylls convolute, linear to lanceolate, as young greenish – brown, later becoming gray to light gray – brown, papyraceous, to 30 cm long, early splitting into fibrous remains. Leaves densely crowded, petiolate. Petiole stiff, erect, straight, (20)25 – 40(45) cm long, (3)4 – 7(8) mm in diameter. Leaf blade erect to arching, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, attenuate at base and at apex, (45)50 – 60(70) cm long, 2 – 6(7) cm wide, straight to slightly wavy along margin, uniform green above and below, with prominent midvein on lower surface and insignificant, secondary veins. Flowers solitary, arising from the apical part of the shoot, pedunculate. Peduncle arising horizontally, dark green, indistinctly marked with dirty purple – brown marks, (3)4 – 6(8) cm long, 2 – 4(5) mm in diameter, with 2(3) sterile bracts at base; bracts ovate to broadly ovate, coriaceous, obtuse, 5 – 8 mm long, 0.3 – 0.6 mm wide. Floral bracts 3, broadly triangularovate, concave, (0.6)1.0 – 1.8(2.0) cm long, 0.5 – 0.8(1.0) cm wide, densely adpressed to perigone from below. Perigone shortly obpyramidal, container-like, verruculose outside, finely rough inside, down faced, 3 – 4 cm in diameter, 1 – 2 cm long, with 6 incurved half-united lobes forming a star-like perianth opening, 1.5 – 1.8 cm in diameter. Lobes subequal, broadly triangular, flat, straight or apically adaxially curved, with slightly revolute scarious margin, blunt to roundish at apex, 2 – 3 mm long, 7 – 9(10) mm wide at base. Stamens 6, sessile, inserted at basal, urceolate part of perigone; anthers ellipsoid, 4 – 5 mm long, 1.2 mm wide; pollen sacs introrse; pollen whitish. Pistil desk-shaped, peltate; ovary inconspicuous, cylindrical; style stout, cylindrical to clavate, 6 – 7(8) mm tall, 4 – 5 mm in diameter; stigma fleshy, entire, discoidpeltate, (0.8)1.0(1.2) cm in diameter, with numerous, dense, radial, irregularly denticulate ridges, forming at center a deep cavity. Unripe fruit globular, dirty green, rough, 4-seeded.

 Aspidistra khangii

(a) flowering plant, (b) shoot with flowers, (c) – (d) flowers, side and half side views, (e) flower, frontal view, (f) flower with removed upper half of perianth, frontal view, (g) flower, sagittal section, side view, (h) stigma, sagittal section, side view. All drawn from the type, L. Averyanov, N. T. Hiep, N. S. Khang, P. V. the, K. Inkhavilay, S. Lorphengsy, LA-VN 104 by L. Averyanov.

Distribution

Southeastern Laos (Attapeu province, Saysettha district). Endemic to southeastern Laos, but may also be found in mountain areas of central Vietnam, allied to the Laos – Vietnamese border.

Ecology

Primary broad-leaved evergreen forests on mountains composed of shale, in shady places, particularly along ridge edges, 850 – 950 m a.s.l. Flowering in November – January. Common to abundant (LC).