AspidistrA renAtAe ( ruscAceAe ) , A new species from centrAl VietnAm

The species was discovered by the first author on a joint expedition of the Institut für Organische Chemie Würzburg and the Institute of Industrial Chemistry Hanoi to Quangnam-Danang Province, Central Vietnam. One flowering individual was collected and recognised as a new species with respect to a revision of the Vietnamese species of Aspidistra (Tillich, 2005). The genus seems to be very diverse in Vietnam and Southern China (Tillich, 2005) with the highest number of species probably found at altitudes of 900–1000 m (Averyanov, pers. comm.).


INTRODUCTION
The species was discovered by the first author on a joint expedition of the Institut für Organische Chemie Würzburg and the Institute of Industrial Chemistry Hanoi to Quangnam-Danang Province, Central Vietnam.One flowering individual was collected and recognised as a new species with respect to a revision of the Vietnamese species of Aspidistra (Tillich, 2005).The genus seems to be very diverse in Vietnam and Southern China (Tillich, 2005) with the highest number of species probably found at altitudes of 900-1000 m (Averyanov, pers.comm.).
Distribution -Central Vietnam, Quangnam-Danang Province.Notes -1.This species is known only from the type locality, a seasonal rain forest on an E slope, where it grows on the dark forest floor on poor soil over granite in association with e.g.Adiantum, Hedyotis, Hymenophyllum, Ophiopogon, Phyllagathis and Rattan palms.The holotype was the only plant found flowering in a rich population (> 30 individuals).Several plants are in cultivation at the Botanischer Garten München, Germany.
2. Etymology: Aspidistra renatae is named in memory and honour of the first author's mother Renate Bräuchler who died of cancer long before her time.All her life she loved plants, especially lilies of the valley, which used to give their scientific name to the family Aspidistra belonging to the Convallariaceae (Ruscaceae sensu APG II, 2003).
3. Phenology: Flowering season probably starts at the end of April, as also the Ophiopogon species started budding at the collecting site.
4. Pollination: Nothing is known concisely about the pollination of this species; however, the flowers are oriented horizontally (maybe also a bit downwards) lying on the substrate and are probably visited by small ground insects.At the collecting time (11 a.m.) no floral scent was recognised.The bright stigma is in high contrast to the dark surrounding and might serve as a first attraction point favouring pollination by arriving insects.A ring of non-pigmented tissue around the base of the gynoecium may serve as a light trap guiding the flower-visiting insects towards the proximate part of the flower, forcing them to pass the anthers.
5. Relationship: The closest ally may be Aspidistra atroviolacea Tillich from Bach Ma National Park.More distant morphological affinities exist towards A. retusa K.Y.Lang & S.Z.Huang and A. triloba F.T. Wang & K.Y.Lang (Lang, 1981).A key to the species is provided in Tillich (2005).

Fig. 1 .
Fig. 1.Aspidistra renatae C. Bräuchler.a. Habitus of the holotype (picture of the dried specimen); b. flowering individual photographed at the type locality after collecting; c. flower close-up revealing a ring of non-pigmented tissue around the base of the ovary.