Aspidistra phongdiensis D. Dien, T. A. Le & Vislobokov 2023, sp. nov.

Aspidistra phongdiensis D.Dien, T.A.Le & Vislobokov, sp. nov. (Fig. 1) Diagnosis: Aspidistra phongdiensis is morphologically similar to A. khangii but differs in wider leaf blade (vs. narrowly elliptic), perigone white outside (vs. purple mottled), yellow pollen (vs. white), introrse anthers (vs. latrorse) and widely obconic pistil (vs. deskshaped). Type: — VIETNAM. Thua Thien Hue province: Phong Dien district, Phong Xuan commune, Phong Dien Nature Reserve, 16°24′14.73″N, 107°13′27.59″E, 350 m a.s.l., 18 April 2021, Dien Dinh, Quoc Tuan Doan, Vu Tien Chinh, Le Ngoc Tuan, Le Van Huong, Tran Nam Thang, Tuan Anh Le LTA 2337 (holotype VNMN!; isotype SGN!). Plant perennial, evergreen, herbaceous, rhizomatous, glabrous. Rhizome creeping, epigeous, 0.6–1 cm in diameter, distal part (3–4 cm) ascending to vertical with prop roots. Roots grey, 2.5–4 mm in diameter. Rhizomes with regularly repeating units, each comprising a few distichously arranged phyllomes (cataphylls followed by a foliage leaf). Cataphylls oblong, 9–15 cm long, 1–1.3 cm wide, rapidly withering. Foliage leaves green, divided into petiole and lamina. Petiole green, adaxially sulcate, 20.6–27 cm long, 5–8 mm in diameter. Lamina green, elliptic, basally cuneate, apically narrowly acuminate, 28–30 cm long, 8.5–10.5 cm wide, parallel-veined with median vein prominent on abaxial surface, margin entire. Peduncle (specialized reproductive shoot) arising horizontally and arching down, purple mottled, 2.8–13 cm long, 3–4 mm in diameter, with 5–6 dark green and purple mottled, broadly ovate, 7–9 mm long, 5–11 mm wide distichously arranged sterile bracts. Flower solitary at the top of the peduncle. Perigone broadly obovate, globoid, container-shaped (urceolate with inflexed lobes), down faced, white outside, purple-red inside, fleshy, ca. 3 mm thick; tube widely campanulate, 2.7–3 cm long, 3.6–5 cm in diameter; lobes 6, widely ovate to triangular, incurved forming a star-like perigone opening, 2.4–2.9 mm in diameter. Stamens 6, inserted at base of perigone tube ...