Phytotaxa 397 (1): 125–128 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) https://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ PHYTOTAXA Copyright © 2019 Magnolia Press Correspondence ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.397.1.15 Aspidistra corniculata (Asparagaceae, Nolinoideae), a new species from Vietnam NIKOLAY A. VISLOBOKOV1,2*, ANDREY N. KUZNETSOV2,3, SVETLANA P. KUZNETSOVA2 & EVGENIYA A. KUZMICHEVA3 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, 119071 Moscow, Russia. *Author for correspondence. E-mail: [email protected] Aspidistra corniculata is described and illustrated here as a new species from northern Vietnam. In flower structure, A. corniculata resembles A. lubae, A. marasmioides, A. multiflora and A. zinaidae but possesses hornlike connective appendages in stamens that distinguish it from all the other close species. Keywords: connective appendage, taxonomy, Tay Yen Tu, tropical forest Aspidistra Ker Gawler (1822: 628) comprises about 170 species mostly known from southern China and northern Vietnam, including about 60 species endemic to Vietnam (Tillich 2005, 2014, Averyanov & Tillich 2012, 2014, 2015, Leong- Škorničková et al. 2014, Nguyen et al. 2017). Over recent years, many Aspidistra taxa have been described from this diversity center for the genus (Vislobokov 2016, Vislobokov et al. 2016, 2017, Averyanov et al. 2018, Huang et al. 2018, Nong et al. 2018). In the present paper, Aspidistra corniculata is described and illustrated as a new species from Vietnam (Fig. 1). Material and Methods The new species was discovered during fieldwork in Bắc Giang province of Vietnam by N.A. Vislobokov. Living plants, herbarium, and liquid material were collected in October 2018. We measured 24–50 leaf characters and 14–23 floral characters on living plants using a Vernier caliper and a ruler. In the morphological description, the range of variation of each quantitative character is given, followed by the mean value in brackets. Description of the new species Aspidistra corniculata Vislobokov, sp. nov. (Fig. 1) Diagnosis: Aspidistra corniculata is morphologically similar to A. marasmioides and A. multiflora, but differs in longer partly reddish purple filaments with connective appendages, in reddish purple perigone tube and narrowly lanceolate leaf blade. Type:—VIETNAM, Bắc Giang province, Sơn Ðộng district, 6 km South-West from Thanh Sơn Town, Tây Yên Tử National Forest, in the forest, near bank of river, 21˚ 10.627’ N, 106˚ 43.242’ E, alt. 231 m, 21 October 2018, N.A. Vislobokov 18089 (holotype: MW0595713, isotype: M). Plant perennial, evergreen, herbaceous, rhizomatous, glabrous. Rhizome creeping, epigeous, with short internodes, Ø 2.9– 7.3 (4.7) mm. Roots light brown, Ø 1.7–2.2 (1.9) mm. Rhizomes with regularly repeating units, each comprising a few distichous cataphylls followed by a foliage leaf. Cataphylls cuneate, oblong, 5–12.1 (8) cm long, 5.6–7.2 (6.4) mm wide. Leaves petiolate, 31–62 (45.8) cm long. Petiole green, adaxially sulcate, 2–25.5 (12) cm long, Ø 1.7–3.1 (2.2) mm. Lamina green, narrowly lanceolate, base narrowly cuneate and apex acuminate, 15.5–41 (26.6) cm long, 1.5–3.7 (2.8) cm wide, with midvein prominent at abaxial surface. Peduncle reddish purple, arising horizontally or slightly upwards, 1.5–4.9 (2.6) cm long, Ø 1.2–2.3 (1.8) mm, with 3–5 reddish purple to dark red mottled, broadly ovate, 6.4–9.9 (8) mm long, 4.6–8.2 (6.5) Accepted by Giovanni Astuti: 2 Mar. 2019; published: 14 Mar. 2019 125 FIGURE 1. Picture of Aspidistra corniculata: A) whole plant in its natural habitat; b) flower with whitish perigone arising from the rhizome; c) flowering plant; d) rhizome with reddish purple flowers from the top down; e) rhizome with reddish purple flower from lateral view; f) particular of the flower, lateral view); g) flower, longitudinal section; h) flower, inner part; i) flower, inner part without gynoecium; j) flower, lateral view; k) gynoecium, from below; l) gynoecium, lateral view; m) perigone with stamen. Illustration by E.A. Kuzmicheva. 126 • Phytotaxa 397 (1) © 2019 Magnolia Press VISLOBOKOV ET AL. mm wide (being flattened) distichously arranged bracts. Flower solitary at the top of the peduncle. Perigone cup-shaped, 9.5–17.8 (12.6) mm long, Ø 15.6–23.5 (19.1) mm; tube outside reddish purple or white with reddish purple specks, inside reddish purple, white at the bottom of both sides, 7.6–12.3 (9.5) mm long, Ø 9.5–13.3 (11) mm; lobes 6, outside reddish purple or white with reddish purple specks, inside reddish purple, broadly ovate, 6–9.1 (7.2) mm long, 4.6–8.7 (6.5) mm wide, outward curved, bearing 4 prominent longitudinal keels on the adaxial surface. Stamens 6, 2.8–4.3 (3.5) mm long, inserted at the middle of the perigone tube; filaments basally reddish purple, apically white, cylindrical, 1.2–2.2 (1.6) mm long, spreading horizontally or slightly downward; anthers 1.2–1.8 (1.6) mm long, 1.2–1.8 (1.5) mm wide, pollen sacs attached to connectives at lower side, connectives with appendages. Pistil white, mushroom-shaped, 6.9–8.8 (7.8) mm long; style cylindrical, 3.6–5 (4.3) mm long, Ø 1.1–1.8 (1.5) mm; stigma hemispherical, 2.6–4.2 (3.5) mm thick, Ø 5.2–7 (6.1) mm, with slightly wavy margin. Ovary inconspicuous, superior, 3-locular. Fruits unknown. Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to the hornlike connective appendages of stamens. Distribution and ecology:—The species is known only from Tây Yên Tử National Forest, where it grows along the river bank. Phenology:—Aspidistra corniculata flowers in late October. Taxonomic relationships:—In flower structure A. corniculata is similar to A. marasmioides Tillich (2005: 321) and A. multiflora Averyanov & Tillich (2015: 368), but differs for the longer filaments (1.6 mm vs. 1 mm or less) with connective appendages, for the colour of the perigone tube (reddish purple, white at the bottom vs. white or white with purple stripes) and of the filaments (partly reddish purple vs. completely white); A. corniculata is also strongly different in shape of leaf blade (narrowly lanceolate vs. elliptic) and shoot morphology (creeping rhizome with short internodes vs. widely creeping slender rhizome of A. marasmioides and ascending or erect rhizome of A. multiflora). Aspidistra corniculata also resembles A. lubae Averyanov & Tillich (2014: 755) and A. zinaidae Averyanov & Tillich (2012: 8), but differs from these species in shoot habit (creeping rhizome vs. erect stem), in colour of the perigone (reddish purple vs. partly white or greenish), and structure of stamens (elongate filaments spreading horizontally or slightly downward vs. sessile anthers). Acknowledgements We are grateful to Phạm Hồng Phương for his help during fieldwork. The fieldwork was performed while with Joint Russian- Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center. Investigation of morphology and description of the new species were carried out by N.A. Vislobokov in the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The reported study was funded by RFBR according to the research project N. 18-34-20135. References Averyanov, L.V. & Tillich, H.J. (2012) New taxa of Aspidistra (Asparagaceae) from central Vietnam. Turczaninowia 15: 5–10. Averyanov, L.V. & Tillich, H.-J. 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