Tên Khoa học: Aspidistra stellata Aver. et Tillich
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Tên tiếng Việt:
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 Aspidistra stellate sp. nov.

(a) flowering plant, (b) peduncle and flower bud, (c) – (d) flower, frontal and half side views, (e) flower, sagittal section, (f) stigma, frontal view. All drawn from the type, P. K. Loc, N. X. Tam, L. Averyanov, HAL 184 by L. Averyanov.

Description

Rhizome creeping, plagiotropic, sparsely branching, 4 – 7(10) cm long, densely nodal, covered by remains of fibrous-papyraceous bract remains, with many branching, yellowish – -brown roots. Cataphylls convolute, narrowly cuneate, light green as young , later becoming dull brownish to almost black, papyraceous, up to 8 cm long, enveloping petiole, later splitting into fibrous-papyraceous remains. Leaves densely arising from rhizome, petiolate. Petiole stiff , erect, straight or slightly inclined, (15)20 – 25(30) cm long. Leaf blade horizontal to arching, elliptic to narrowly ovate, shortly attenuate at base and at apex, (12)16 – 22(25) cm long, (4.0)4.2 – 5 .0(6.0) cm wide, straight or slightly wavy along margin, dark green, as young with sparse yellowish – green spots, later usually becoming spotless, with strong, prominent midvein and insignificant secondary veins. Flowers solitary, arising from rhizome near apex, pedunculate. Peduncle arising horizontally, white to pinkish, terete, (3)4 – 5(6) cm long, 2.0 – 2.5 mm in diameter, with (3)4 – 5(6) sterile bracts; bracts broadly ovate, concave, rather fleshy, white or with pinkish tint, acute to shortly acuminate, 0.7 – 1.5 cm long and wide. Floral bract 1 – 2, white or with pink tint, broadly triangular-ovate, concave, 2.0 – 2.5 cm long, 1.5 – 2.0 cm wide, densely adpressed to perigone from below. Flowers horizontally placed, perigone tube urceolate, white or with pink tint outside (abaxially), dark purple inside (adaxially), 1.0 – 1.2 cm long and wide, with 6 linear-caudate lobes. Lobes subequal, rather thin, revolute along margin, with 3 longitudinal grooves, obtuse to blunt at apex, rather smooth, primarily straight, later curved, (2.5)3.0 – 3.5 cm long, 3 – 4 mm wide at base. Stamens 6, subsessile or with very short filaments, inserted near base of perigone; anthers bean-shaped, 2.5 – 3.0 mm long, 1.0 – 1.2 mm wide; pollen sacs introrse; pollen white. Pistil white, desk-shaped, peltate; ovary inconspicuous; style stout, cylindrical, 0.8 – 1.0 cm tall, 2.5 – 3.0 mm in diameter; stigma white, fleshy, discoid-peltate, slightly convex, 1.0 – 1.3 cm in diameter, shallowly 3-lobed, with broad entire lobes; upper surface of stigma finely papillose.

Distribution

Northern Vietnam (Tuyen Quang province, Na Hang district). Endemic to northern Vietnam.

Ecology

Primary broad-leaved evergreen dry forest on limestone outcrops, commonly in shady slopes, at 450 – 550 m a.s.l. Flowering in March – April. Locally very common (LC).