Aspidistra paucitepala N.Vislobokov, Nuraliev & D.D.Sokoloff, 2014

Aspidistra paucitepala N.Vislobokov, Nuraliev & D.D.Sokoloff View in CoL , sp.nov. ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 )

It differs from related A. brachystyla in colour of the perianth lobes (purple vs. light yellow), number of tepals (2–4 vs. 6), shorter perianth (9–15 vs. 25–30 mm long) and shorter anthers (2–3 vs. ca. 5 mm long).

Type:— VIETNAM. Lam Dong province: Bao Lam district, Loc Bac municipality, 12 km WNW from Loc Thang town , forest margin, near road, elev. 1050 m, N 11° 43' 27'', E 107° 42' 58'', 6 April 2013, A.N. Kuznetsov, S.P. Kuznetsova, M.S. Nuraliev 771 ( MW! holotype), including flowers and fruits in liquid collection at Moscow University GoogleMaps .

Herbaceous perennial rhizomatous evergreen plant ( Fig. 2a, b View FIGURE 2 ). Rhizome branching, hypogeous or frequently epigeous, ascending to vertical with prop roots ( Fig. 2b View FIGURE 2 ), Ø 7.5 –12.2 [8.5] mm; cataphylls dark brown, oblong, 40– 95 [57] mm long, 6–12 [8] mm wide. Roots grey, Ø 1.8 –2.8 [2.2] mm. Leaves solitary, distinctly divided into petiole and lamina. Petiole 6.5–20 [12.3] cm long, Ø 2.3 –4.3 [2.7] mm, adaxially canaliculate. Lamina green, oblong, basally cuneate and distally gradually acuminate, 14–23 [19.1] cm long, 3.5–5.7 [4.6] cm wide, with 3–4 secondary veins at both sides of the midvein ( Fig. 2a View FIGURE 2 ). The midvein and the secondary veins somewhat prominent on lower surface. Peduncle 3–5 mm long, with ovate scale leaves up to 7.2 mm long. Flowers solitary, subsessile ( Fig. 2e View FIGURE 2 ). Perianth narrow funnel-shaped to nearly tubular; tube white at both sides ( Fig. 1a–d View FIGURE 1 ), 8–11.5 [9.6] mm long, Ø 3.4 –5.2 [4.1] mm; lobes (2)3–4 ( Fig. 1e–h View FIGURE 1 ), straight or somewhat curved inwards, oblong, suddenly acuminate, fleshy, dark violet at both sides, 0.5–0.6 mm thick, 2.4–4.1 [3.2] mm wide, 1.3–3[1.9] mm long. Stamens (2)3–4 (in the same number as perianth lobes), inserted at the middle of the perianth tube, at the same radii with tepals; anthers subsessile, linear, white with yellow thecae, 2–3.1 [2.3] mm long, 1–1.3 [1.1] mm wide at the base, latrorse; connective triangular, without a connective appendage but with apically extended thecae ( Fig. 1a–c View FIGURE 1 ). Pistil cylindrical to conical, white, 2.4–3.8 [2.9] mm long, Ø 0.7 –1.1 [1] mm at the base. Style widened to entire or obscurely lobed stigma covered by numerous hairs ( Fig. 2d View FIGURE 2 ). Ovary superior, unilocular. Fruits dark-violet to black (green when young), spherical, with short conical protuberances, Ø 8.1 –14.7 [11.3] mm, 1- or 2-seeded, sometimes with 1–2 unfertilised ovules ( Fig. 2c, e View FIGURE 2 ). Fruiting peduncles 4.5–9 [6.1] mm long, Ø 1.2 –1.8 [1.6] mm.

Molecular description:— Differences found in alignments of all accessions of the two investigated markers are summarized in Tables 1 View TABLE 1 and 2 View TABLE 2 . The new species differs from all other accessions investigated here in a 6 bp (AGTATC) presence of indel between nucleotides 102 and 103 of the psb A- trn H region (direct nucleotide positions; these are equivalent to positions 120–125 in the alignment, Table 1 View TABLE 1 ). In 5S-NTS region, the most remarkable difference of the new species is a large indel represented by nucleotides 205–371 (direct nucleotide positions; these are equivalent to positions 216–382 in the alignment, Table 2 View TABLE 2 ). In addition, the following features distinguish 5S-NTS sequences of the new species from other accessions (in all cases, direct nucleotide positions): a 9 bp indel between nucleotides 7 and 8; a 1 bp indel (T) between nucleotides 17 and 18; a 1 bp indel (T or C) between nucleotides 27 and 28; Guanine not Thymine at position 9; Guanine not Thymine at position 17; Guanine not Adenine at position 19; Thymine not Adenine at position 46; Thymine not Guanine at position 55; Guanine not Adenine at position 107; Adenine not Guanine at position 110; Cytosine not Thymine at position 129; Adenine not Guanine at position 139; Guanine not Thymine at position 142; Thymine not Adenine at position 373; Guanine not Adenine at position 424; Guanine not Adenine at position 509; Guanine not Cytosine at position 626; Cytosine not Thymine at position 633; Thymine not Cytosine at position 661; Guanine not Adenine at position 667.

Taxonomic relationships:— The new species has narrow funnel-shaped to nearly tubular flowers, cylindrical pistil and sessile anthers ( Fig. 1a–d View FIGURE 1 ) such as in A. cavicola Fang & Yen in Fang et al. (1993: 180), A. cerina Li & Tang (2002: 289) , A. claviformis Wan (1984: 166) , A. lutea Tillich (2005: 320) , A. longituba Liu & Lin in Lin & Liu (2011: 519) and A. brachystyla Averyanov & Tillich in Tillich & Averyanov (2008: 37). In terms of morphology, the closest relative of the new species is probably A. brachystyla . Both species have narrow perianth tubes and short cylindrical pistils with stigma located below the level of anthers. However, A. paucitepala differs from A. brachystyla in colour of the perianth (lobes purple at the both sides vs. completely light yellow), number of tepals (2–4 vs. 6), and flower size (perianth 9–15 vs. 25–30 mm long). Also anthers of A. brachystyla have conspicuous apical appendages. In shoot structure, A. paucitepala superficially resembles a group of species having erect unbranched shoots with prop roots, such as A. erecta Yan Liu & C.I.Peng in Liu et al. (2011: 367), A. khangii Averyanov & Tillich (2013a: 2) , A. lateralis Tillich (2005: 320) , A. locii Arnautov & Bogner (2004: 203) , A. lubae Averyanov & Tillich (2013a: 4) , A. nikolai Averyanov & Tillich in Tillich & Averyanov (2008: 40) ( Averyanov & Tillich 2013a). However, A. paucitepala apparently does not belong to this group because in spite of presence of prop roots and frequently vertical shoots, rhizome branching is documented in our species ( Fig. 2b View FIGURE 2 ).

Etymology:— The specific epithet “ paucitepala ” is derived from the lowest tepal number in flowers of Asparagales .

Distribution and habitat:— The species is locally common in the type localities and in a locality (N 11° 44' 18'', E 107° 42' 20'', river bank) at a distance of 1 kilometre from them. Apparently A. paucitepala inhabits at least a few kilometres around the type localities. It grows along permanent or less common temporary streams as well as on slopes adjacent to these streams under the canopy of long-boled monsoon tropical mountain forests of middle elevation with upper storey of the canopy formed by trees belonging to families Anacardiaceae , Magnoliaceae , Sapindaceae , Dipterocarpaceae , Euphorbiaceae , Fagaceae , Theaceae , Sapotaceae, Leguminosae , Altingiaceae , Hamamelidaceae , Elaeocarpaceae , Podocarpaceae , Lauraceae , Sterculiaceae . Wet season May to October, dry season December to March, mean annual precipitation about 2000 mm.

Flower and fruit biology:— Flowering from April to May. Young green flower buds gradually become violet after at least three days. Bud diameter increases and a flower opens after next nine days. Flowers remain in anthesis for ca. three days. Later, characteristics of senescence appear.

Other specimens seen (paratypes):— VIETNAM. Lam Dong province: Bao Lam district, Loc Bac municipality, 12 km WNW from Loc Thang town , in the forest, at the edge of earth road, elev. 1000 m, N 11° 43' 15'', E 107° 42' 45'', 30 April 2012, A.N.Kuznetsov, S.P.Kuznetsova, M.S.Nuraliev 638 ( MW!), including flowers and fruits in liquid collection at Moscow University; the same plant in cultivation in the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University, planted May 2012 GoogleMaps .