Aspidistra longifolia

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Aspidistra longifolia

Accepted name Aspidistra longifolia Hook. f. Fl. Brit Ind. 6. 326. (1892).

Synonyms

Distribution India (Upper Assam in the Mishmi Hills).

Description
Rhizome: stout, creeping.

Leaves: leaves 2 - 3 ft. by 1 - 2 in. narrowly linear-oblanceolate, bracts 2 - 3 hemispheric, strongly nerved. Leaves tufted, rather thin, contracted into a rigid deeply grooved petiole that is produced into a trigonous keel extending half way up the leaf more or less, nerves close set slender.

Peduncle: ½ - ⅓ in. stout, with a boat-shaped bract at the top.

Perianth [Perigone]: Flower (bud?) very shortly pedicelled; bracts scarious, rounded at the apex; perianth ½ in. in diam., fleshy, subglobose contracted at the mouth; lobes very small.

Stamens: Anthers sessile, recurved.

Pistil: Stigma very large.

Fruit: Undescribed.

Phenology:

2n = ?
based on Hook. f. 1892
"A. longifolia, Hook. f.; leaves 2 - 3 ft. by 1 - 2 in. narrowly linear-oblanceolate, bracts 2 - 3 hemispheric, strongly nerved. A. lurida Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv, 579, not of Kerr.

Upper Assam; in the Mishmi Hills, Griffith.

Rootstock stout, creeping. Leaves tufted, rather thin, contracted into a rigid deeply grooved petiole that is produced into a trigonous keel extending half way up the leaf more or less, nerves close set slender. Peduncle ½ - ⅓ in. stout, with a boat-shaped bract at the top. Flower (bud?) very shortly pedicelled; bracts scarious, rounded at the apex; perianth ½ in. in diam., fleshy, subglobose contracted at the mouth; lobes very small. Anthers sessile, recurved. Stigma very large. -- A very different plant from the A. lurida, Ker of China."

(from Hook. f. 1892).

References Hook. f. 1892.

The original description of A. longifolia by J. D. Hooker can be seen at http://www.botanicus.org/page/355895

Comments It seems as if this species has never been collected since Griffith 5887. Its listing on various websites of chloroplast gene sequences and as an introduced plant into Australia are based on misidentification of the plant.
image 1 image 2

If these links do not work go to http://www.kew.org/herbcat/navigator.do on the RBG Kew website and type "Aspidistra" into the search box.

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last updated 18/08/2008

Accepted name	Aspidistra longifolia Hook. f. Fl. Brit Ind. 6. 326. (1892).
Synonyms
Distribution	India (Upper Assam in the Mishmi Hills).
Description	Rhizome: stout, creeping. Leaves: leaves 2 - 3 ft. by 1 - 2 in. narrowly linear-oblanceolate, bracts 2 - 3 hemispheric, strongly nerved. Leaves tufted, rather thin, contracted into a rigid deeply grooved petiole that is produced into a trigonous keel extending half way up the leaf more or less, nerves close set slender. Peduncle: ½ - ⅓ in. stout, with a boat-shaped bract at the top. Perianth [Perigone]: Flower (bud?) very shortly pedicelled; bracts scarious, rounded at the apex; perianth ½ in. in diam., fleshy, subglobose contracted at the mouth; lobes very small. Stamens: Anthers sessile, recurved. Pistil: Stigma very large. Fruit: Undescribed. Phenology: 2n = ? based on Hook. f. 1892 "A. longifolia, Hook. f.; leaves 2 - 3 ft. by 1 - 2 in. narrowly linear-oblanceolate, bracts 2 - 3 hemispheric, strongly nerved. A. lurida Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv, 579, not of Kerr. Upper Assam; in the Mishmi Hills, Griffith. Rootstock stout, creeping. Leaves tufted, rather thin, contracted into a rigid deeply grooved petiole that is produced into a trigonous keel extending half way up the leaf more or less, nerves close set slender. Peduncle ½ - ⅓ in. stout, with a boat-shaped bract at the top. Flower (bud?) very shortly pedicelled; bracts scarious, rounded at the apex; perianth ½ in. in diam., fleshy, subglobose contracted at the mouth; lobes very small. Anthers sessile, recurved. Stigma very large. -- A very different plant from the A. lurida, Ker of China." (from Hook. f. 1892).
References	Hook. f. 1892. The original description of A. longifolia by J. D. Hooker can be seen at http://www.botanicus.org/page/355895
Comments	It seems as if this species has never been collected since Griffith 5887. Its listing on various websites of chloroplast gene sequences and as an introduced plant into Australia are based on misidentification of the plant. image 1 image 2 If these links do not work go to http://www.kew.org/herbcat/navigator.do on the RBG Kew website and type "Aspidistra" into the search box.