Tên Khoa học: Aspidistra letreae Aver., Tillich & T.A. Le
Tên tiếng Anh:
Tên tiếng Việt: Tỏi đá lê trễ
Tên khác:

Terrestrial perennial herb with epigeous simple or few branching, erect or oblique stem-like stout rhizome (1.5)2–4(5) cm long, Ø (4)5–6(7) mm, densely covered by many, dirty gray or yellowish-gray papyraceous-fibrous remains of cataphylls; leafy apical part of rhizome very short, simple, (0.5)1–1.5(2) cm tall; basal, leafless part dirty gray, more or less flexuose, with many stilt roots. Roots gray straight rigid, Ø (2)2.5–4(5) mm. Cataphylls during anthesis dry, dull pale yellowish, narrowly lanceolate to linear, obtuse, straight, upright, (2)5–16(20) cm long, (2.5)3–6(8) mm wide (being flattened), somewhat broadening at the base. Leaves on individual shoot (3)4(5), petiolate; petiole dark green, stiff, rigid, erect, straight, (10)15–25(30) cm long, Ø (1.5)2–2.5(3) mm, adaxially grooved; leaf blade straight to slightly arching, leathery, more or less flat or slightly conduplicate, narrowly lanceolate to almost linear, tapering to acute apex, with rather broad, shortly cuneate base, (45)50–65(70) cm long, (1.5)2–3(3.2) cm wide, straight or hardly irregularly wavy along margin, uniformly dark grass-green on both sides, with prominent median vein and 4 distinct secondary veins. Flowers 1–2(3), solitary, arising laterally from leafy part of the stem, shortly pedunculate, nutant, widely opening, Ø (3.8)4.5–5(5.5) cm. Peduncle horizontal, down curved, short, (1)1.5–2.5(3) cm long, Ø (2.8)3– 3.5(4) mm, light green to dirty olive, almost completely enveloped by (3)4(5) densely imbricate, sterile bracts; sterile bracts dirty olive-greenish tinged with purple-brown to uniformly dark olive-green, broadly ovate, obtuse, with broad base, usually apically splitting, concave, coriaceous, (6)10–15(18) mm long, (8)10–16(18) mm wide (being flattened). Perigonium with 6–7 free lobes, rather uniformly purple-brown to chestnut, fleshy, smooth and glossy, syntepalous part concave, (3.5)4–5(6) mm in depth. Perigonium lobes subequal, fleshy, almost flat or slightly longitudinally convex, smooth and glossy, uniformly purple-brown to chestnut, triangular, (1.2)1.4–1.7(1.8) cm long, (0.8)0.9–1.4(1.5) cm wide, obtuse at apex. Stamens 6–7, sessile, placed in the middle part of syntepalous part of perianth; anthers ovoid,  (3)3.2–3.5(3.8) mm long, (2.2)2.5–3(3.2) mm wide, much distant from each other; pollen sacs introrse; pollen bright  yellow. Pistil white, mushroom-shaped; style fleshy, shortly cylindrical (5.5)6–7(8) mm tall, Ø (2.8)3–5(6) mm; stigma  almost  hemispheric,  4–5  mm  tall,  Ø  (12)14–16(18)  mm,  circular  in  outline,  shallowly  irregularly  crenulate  along  margin,  or  obscurely  hexagonal,  shallowly  ribbed  beneath,  fleshy,  densely  papillose,  white  to  light  dull  greenish.  Ovary inconspicuous, very indistinct, white. Fruits unknown.  

 
Etymology

Species epithet refers to Dr. Le Thi Tre, teacher of Hue University’s college of education, who was  an educator of the third co-author of this paper.  

Habitat, phenology and conservation status

Terrestrial rhizomatous herb. Primary and secondary evergreen  broad-leaved lowland forest on alluvial soils at elevation around 100 m a.s.l., commonly on shady reclined slopes in  assemblage with Curculigo sp., Thottea hainanensis and Gomphia serrata. Not common. Flowering in September– October. Estimated IUCN Red List status DD.  

 
Distribution:
Central Vietnam (Quang Tri province, Vinh Linh district). Endemic of central Vietnam.