Aspidistra Minor (Asparagaceae, Nolinoideae), a Tiny New Species from Vietnam

Phytotaxa 402 (1): 063–067 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) https://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ PHYTOTAXA Copyright © 2019 Magnolia Press Article ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.402.1.9

Aspidistra minor (Asparagaceae, Nolinoideae), a tiny new species from Vietnam

NIKOLAY A. VISLOBOKOV1,2*, ANDREY N. KUZNETSOV2,3, SVETLANA P. KUZNETSOVA2, MIKHAIL S. ROMANOV4 & MAXIM S. NURALIEV1,2 1Department of Higher Plants, Biological Faculty, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, 12, Leninskie Gory, 119234 Moscow, Russia. 2Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam. 3A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 33, Leninsky av., 119071 Moscow, Russia. 4Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4, Botanicheskaya st., 127276 Moscow, Russia. *Author for correspondence. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Aspidistra minor is described and illustrated as a new species from southern Vietnam (Gia Lai province, Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve). The new species possesses very small ovate to elliptic leaf blades and very small flowers with stamens inserted at the base of the perigone. In flower structure, the new species resembles A. leucographa and A. elatior but strongly differs in shape of leaf blades and position of stamens.

Keywords: Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, Gia Lai province, tropical forest

Introduction

Aspidistra is a large genus of herbaceous plants growing in tropical and subtropical forests of Asia. This genus comprises about 170 species, of which more than 60 are known in Vietnam (e.g., Tillich 2005, 2014, Averyanov & Tillich 2014, 2015, 2016, Ly & Tillich 2016, Tanaka 2016, Vislobokov et al. 2016a, 2016b). In 2018, at least 11 new species of Aspidistra Ker Gawler (1822: 628) were described from China, Laos and Vietnam (e.g. Averyanov et al. 2018, Cai et al. 2018, Huang et al. 2018, Nong et al. 2018). Species of Aspidistra show extremely diverse flower morphology, and often just a few key features of flower structure appear to be enough for recognition of a new species. Moreover, some species possess such outstanding flowers that it is difficult to compare them with their congeners (e.g. A. jiewhoei Tillich & Leong-Škorničková (2013: 102), A. locii Arnautov & Bogner in Bogner & Arnautov (2004: 203), A. paucitepala Vislobokov, Nuraliev & D.D. Sokoloff in Vislobokov et al. (2014: 272)). Some of the species of Aspidistra were initially collected in the wild as a sterile plants and recognized as undescribed taxa only after their flowering in culture, often many years after collection (e.g., Tillich 2005, Tillich & Leong-Škorničková 2013, Vislobokov 2016). In the present study, we describe and illustrate a new species, which flowered in a greenhouse soon after it was collected in southern Vietnam.

Material and Methods

Three of us (MSN, ANK and SPK) found and collected a plant of Aspidistra during an expedition of Joint Russian- Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center in Gia Lai province of Vietnam in spring 2018. This plant was cultivated in the Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia). Flowers were gathered during the flowering of the living plant in the greenhouse; they were fixed and stored in 70% ethanol. A herbarium specimen was prepared from the living cultivated plant. The measurements were performed using a vernier calliper and a ruler under a stereo microscope.

Accepted by Sin Yeng Wong: 11 Apr. 2019; published: 18 Apr. 2019 63 Figure 1. Aspidistra minor. a. plant in natural habitat; b. plant in greenhouse; c, d. flower, side view; e, f. flower, view from above; g. flower, view from above, pistil removed; h. longitudinal section of flower; i. longitudinally dissected perigone with two stamens; j. stigma, view from below; k. stigma, view from above. Photos: a by M.S. Nuraliev, b–k by M.S. Romanov.

Aspidistra minor Vislobokov, Nuraliev & M.S. Romanov, sp. nov. (Fig. 1) Diagnosis: Aspidistra minor is morphologically similar to A. leucographa and A. elatior but differs in ovate to elliptic leaf blades and very small flowers with stamens inserted at the base of the perigone. Type:—VIETNAM, Gia Lai province, K’Bang district, Son Lang municipality, Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, 31 km ESE of Mang Den town, forest on local ridge, 14° 31’ 06’’ N, 108° 33’ 58’’ E, elev. 1030 m, collected in nature on 2 April 2018, M.S. Nuraliev, A.N. Kuznetsov, S.P. Kuznetsova 1966A, the herbarium specimen prepared from the living cultivated plant on 20 December 2018 by N.A. Vislobokov and M.S. Romanov (holotype MW0595716).

Plant perennial, evergreen, herbaceous, rhizomatous, glabrous. Rhizome creeping, epigeous, with short internodes, Ø 4.2–6 mm. Roots light brown, Ø 1.9–3.1 mm. Rhizomes with regularly repeating units, each comprising distichously arranged phyllomes: several cataphylls followed by a foliage leaf. Cataphylls light green, oblong, up to 2.3 cm long. Foliage leaves petiolate. Petiole dark green, adaxially sulcate, 2–2.2 cm long, Ø 3–4 mm. Lamina dark green with light green mottling, ovate to elliptic, basally rounded, apically obtuse, 7.3–8.5 cm long, 5.4–6.3 cm wide, with midvein prominent at abaxial surface. Peduncle lateral, developed from axils of distal cataphylls of most recently developed elementary shoot, light green, 10.5 mm long, Ø 2.1–2.3 mm, with 3 distichously arranged scale leaves. Scale leaves greenish white, widely ovate, 3.3–3.4 mm long, 5.5–9 mm wide (being flattened). Flower solitary at top of peduncle. Perigone uniformly dark purple, cup-shaped, smooth outside, papillose inside especially on lobes, 11 mm long, Ø 10.9–11.3 mm; tube 6.3–7 mm long, Ø same as perigone; lobes 6, triangular, 3.9–4.8 mm long, 2.9–3.1 mm wide, bearing 3 prominent longitudinal keels at adaxial side. Stamens 6, inserted at base of perigone tube (surrounding the style) at the same radii with tepals, 2.1–2.3 mm long; filaments basally dark purple and apically white, erect, conical, short, ca. 0.5 mm long; anthers yellow, basifixed, 1.6–1.7 mm long, 1.2–1.3 mm wide, introrse. Pistil table-shaped, 3.6 mm long; style greenish white or white with purple mottling, cylindrical, 1.3 mm long, Ø 1.8–2 mm; stigma purple below, white with purple specks above, disk-shaped, hairy above, 2.3 mm thick, Ø 6.8 mm, 6-lobed, each lobe emarginate distally. Ovary inconspicuous, superior, 3-locular. Fruits unknown. Additional specimens examined:—Living plant cultivated in Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences; garden number: 2018.14282.01. Liquid collection of reproductive organs collected from cultivated plant on 20 October 2018 by M.S. Romanov. etymology:—The specific epithet refers to size of plant, which readily differs the new species from most other species of Aspidistra. Distribution and ecology:—The new species is known only from Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve in Vietnam. Aspidistra minor grows on loamy drained soils covered with leaf litter. The new species inhabits crest of basalt mountain ridge with broad-leaved polydominant forest 24–30 m height. The upper storey of the forest canopy formed by trees belonging to families Hypericaceae, Lauraceae, Hamamelidaceae, Rhodoleiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Apocynaceae, Fagaceae, Anacardiaceae, Theaceae, Magnoliaceae and Podocarpaceae. Phenology:—Aspidistra minor was flowering in October under cultivation. Similar species:—Aspidistra minor is characterized by very small size of ovate to elliptic leaf blades (7.3–8.5 × 5.4–6.3 cm) and very small flowers (11 × 10.9–11.3 mm) with stamens inserted at the base of the perigone. This combination of features is not found in any other species of the genus, which makes A. minor a morphologically unique and readily recognizable species of Aspidistra. Aspidistra minor resembles A. leucographa C.R.Lin & C.Y.Zou in Zou et al. (2017: 164) and A. vietnamensis Averyanov & Tillich in Averyanov et al. (2018: 16) in shape of perigone and pistil but differs from both in shape of leaf blade (ovate to elliptic vs. narrowly lanceolate and lanceolate to narrowly elliptic) and from A. vietnamensis in position and number of stamens (6 inserted at the base of the perigone tube vs. 8 inserted at lower quarter of the tube). Flowers of A. minor are also somewhat similar to those of A. neglecta Averyanov, Tillich & K.S. Nguyen in Nguyen et al. (2017: 484) and A. extrorsa C.R.Lin & D.X.Nong in Nong et al. (2018: 192) in position of stamens, but strongly differs from both in shape of leaf blade (ovate to elliptic vs. narrowly lanceolate).

Acknowledgements

The fieldwork (manipulations with living plants in situ and floristic description of their habitat) was performed by M.S. a tiny new species of Aspidistra minor Phytotaxa 402 (1) © 2019 Magnolia Press • 65 Nuraliev, A.N. Kuznetsov and S.P. Kuznetsova in the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center and A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS. The work on cultivation (manipulations with living plants in greenhouse, investigation of flowering phenology and preliminary identification of the plant) was performed by V.G. Drockina and M.S. Romanov in the Unique Scientific Installation “The Fund Greenhouse” of N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of RAS in accordance to Institutional research project № 118021490111- 5. Investigation of morphology and description of the new species were carried out by N.A. Vislobokov and M.S. Nuraliev in Lomonosov Moscow State University and were funded by RFBR according to the research project № 18- 34-20135. This work was carried out in accordance to Government order for the Lomonosov Moscow State University (project № AAAA-A16-116021660105-3).

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