2. Aspidistra microstyla Aver., V.C.Nguyen, Nuraliev & Vislobokov, sp. nov. (Fig. 2) Type: — VIETNAM. Kon Tum Province: Dak Gley District, Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, W slopes of Ngoc Linh Mountain System, remnants of primary and secondary evergreen broad-leaved forest on granite and shale at elevation of about 1100 m a.s.l., terrestrial herb in very steep shady rocky stream canyon, flowers dull pink-brownish, not common, 2 May 2025, L. Averyanov, Nguyen Van Canh, T. Maisak, AL 4114 (holotype LE: LE 01282562 https://en.herbariumle. ru/?t=occ&id=263771, isotypes LE: LE 01282561 https://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=263770, LE 01282563 https://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=263772, MW: MW 0595871, photos LE 01255935 https://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=260812, LE 01255936 https://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=260813). Diagnosis: — Aspidistra microstyla differs from the morphologically closest A. shimentaiensis in smaller flowers (6–8 mm vs. 14–16 mm long) facing horizontally (vs. downwards), anthers inserted at the basal third (vs. at very base) of the perianth tube, and uniformly white to yellowish indistinctly mushroom-shaped pistil (vs. purplish red mushroom-shaped pistil with obconical stigma). Etymology:— The species epithet refers to its small style, which is significantly shorter than in most of the species of the genus. Description:—Plant terrestrial, herbaceous, perennial, rhizomatous, glabrous (except for having root hairs). Rhizome epigeous, orthotropic, erect to suberect, rigid, 3–4.5(5) mm in diameter, usually abundantly and densely branching, covered by cataphyll remnants. Rhizome with very short internodes, consisting of regularly repeating units, each unit comprising several cataphylls followed by a single foliage leaf; rhizome branches to 3(4) cm long, having appearance of a group of (1)2–3(4) leaves closely spaced in distal portion of branch. Roots numerous, wiry, rigid, white or grey, shortly tomentose. Cataphylls when young convolute and appearing tubular, (2)4–10(12) cm long, dirty brownish purple, early disintegrating into dull grey chartaceous or fibrous remnants. Leaves straight, erect to slightly arching, (45)50–70(75) cm long, distinctly petiolate. Petiole straight, stiff, (25)30–35(40) cm long, 3–4 mm in diameter, adaxially canaliculate. Leaf blade broadly lanceolate to narrowly ovate or elliptic, tapering at base, acute at apex, (18)22–30(34) cm long, (3.5)4–6(6.5) cm wide, uniformly grassy green on both sides, with prominent median vein and 2–3 secondary veins distinct on both sides (impressed adaxially, raised abaxially), secondary veins arising from median vein in basal half of blade, margin entire and ± straight. Inflorescences axillary, several to numerous per rhizome branch. Peduncle uniflorous, ascending to erect, bent horizontally near apex, (1.5)2–4.5(5.5) cm long (to 7 cm long when fruiting), 1–1.5 mm in diameter, purple, bearing 4–5(6) bracts (2 of them placed close to flower base and appressed to perianth tube). Bracts ovate to broadly ovate, cymbiform, scarious, obtuse at apex, (3)3.5–4.5(5) mm long and wide (when flattened), dark dirty brownish purple. Flower ± horizontally oriented. Perianth (6)7(8) mm long and wide, dissected into lobes to about middle, fleshy, smooth outside and inside; tube broadly campanulate to cupulate (mostly hemispherical at base and vertical towards apex), (2.8)3(3.2) mm long, (5.8)6(6.2) mm in diameter, yellowish with purple speckles outside and inside; lobes 6, apparently in one whorl, equal, triangular, blunt at apex, erect to slightly spreading, (2.8)3–3.5(3.7) mm long, (2.8)3(3.2) mm wide, purplish with yellow speckles outside, yellowish with purple speckles inside (with gradual transition of color from tube to lobes), glossy, with entire margin. Stamens 6, inserted at basal third of perianth tube in the same radii with perianth lobes; anthers subsessile (filaments about 0.15 mm long and wide), oblong, 1.4–1.5 mm long, 1–1.2 mm wide, yellow-orange, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, latrorse, after dehiscence becoming agglutinate to style by connective. Pistil indistinctly mushroom-shaped (with stigma slightly wider than style), uniformly white to light yellowish; ovary inconspicuous; style shortly cylindrical, distally slightly broadening, terete, (2.4)2.6–2.8(3) mm long, (1.5)1.8–2.8(3) mm in diameter; stigma flat or slightly convex, entire, orbicular, 2.8–3 mm in diameter, smooth, with small central hollow. Fruit narrowly obovoid to obovoid, (1.6)1.8–2(2.2) cm long, 1.1–1.2 cm in diameter, dirty purple violet, rugose or sparsely spinulose in distal half, 1- seeded. Distribution:— Vietnam: Kon Tum Province (Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve). The species is likely to be endemic to Kon Tum – Gia Lai Plateau in central Vietnam. Ecology and phenology: —Primary and secondary evergreen broad-leaved forests on granite and silicate shale at elevation of about 1100 m a.s.l., usually on steep rocky slopes of streams in deep shade. Not common. Flowers and fruits in April–May. Conservation: — Aspidistra microstyla was observed in a single locality, and we estimate the only discovered population to include less than 250 mature individuals with the extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) less than 10 km 2. The population inhabits somewhat degraded secondary forest near a road with intensive traffic. The area is legally protected, being located within the Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, and the population does not currently meet any certain threat. Meanwhile, the continuing decline of the habitat quality conditions the conservation status of the species close to NT (Near Threatened). Taxonomic relationships: — Aspidistra microstyla differs from most of its congeners in the following combination of morphological traits: petiolate foliage leaves with lanceolate to elliptic (rather than linear) blades, purple peduncle bent near the apex, and yellowish purple perianth smooth inside with campanulate to cupulate tube and without prominent keels. This combination of traits (including the entire range of perianth coloration from yellow to purple) is inherent only to three other species of the genus, which are discussed below. Aspidistra microstyla differs from A. laongamensis C.R.Lin & X.Y.Huang in Huang et al. (2018: 393) endemic to Laos in smaller flowers (6–8 mm vs. 12–15 mm long) having 6 (vs. mostly 8, rarely 6) tepals and stamens, purple with yellow (vs. uniformly bright yellow) perianth lobes, subsessile anthers (vs. with filaments ca. 1 mm long), and indistinctly mushroom-shaped pistil (vs. distinctly mushroom-shaped pistil with peltate stigma). Then, the new species differs from Aspidistra nankunshanensis Yan Liu & C.R.Lin in Lin et al. (2013: 123; see also Peng et al. 2023) endemic to Guangdong (China) in smaller flowers (6–8 mm vs. 10–20 mm long) facing horizontally (vs. downwards) and having 6 (vs. 8) tepals and stamens, perianth lobes without keels (vs. with 2 adaxial keels), anthers inserted at the basal third of the perianth tube (vs. nearly at the base of the tube), and indistinctly mushroom-shaped pistil (vs. distinctly mushroom-shaped pistil with obconical stigma). Finally, Aspidistra microstyla is morphologically most close to A. shimentaiensis C.X.Peng, Y.Q.Li & C.R.Lin in Peng et al. (2023: 88) endemic to Guangdong (China), differing from it in smaller flowers (6–8 mm vs. 14–16 mm long) facing horizontally (vs. downwards), anthers inserted at the basal third (vs. at very base) of the perianth tube, and uniformly white to yellowish indistinctly mushroom-shaped pistil (vs. purplish red mushroom-shaped pistil with obconical stigma).

Published as part of Averyanov, Leonid V., Nguyen, Van Canh, Nuraliev, Maxim S., Vislobokov, Nikolay A., Maisak, Tatiana V., Thuy, Nhan Tran Thi, Quang, Cuong Truong & Krupkina, Ludmila I., 2025, Two new species and two new varieties of Aspidistra (Asparagaceae, Convallarioideae) from the Central Highlands of Vietnam, pp. 237-250 in Phytotaxa 730 (3) on pages 240-243, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/18421835