Ophiopogon tonkinensis L. Rodriguez, 1928

Feng, Hui Zhe, Peng, Cai Xia, Tan, Kun & Lin, Qin Wen, 2025, Identity of Ophiopogon tonkinensis and O. ogisui, with a new species O. tiandengensis from Guangxi, China, Phytotaxa 700 (1), pp. 45-59 : 47-54

Ophiopogon tonkinensis L. Rodriguez in Bull. Soc. Bot. France, Actual. Bot. 75 (1928: 998) & in Fl. Indo-Chine 6

(1934: 657); Anonymous in Iconogr. Cormophyt. Sin. 5 (1976: 525, f. 7880); Dai and Chen in Fl. Reipubl. Popularis

Sin. 15 (1978: 142); Tanaka in J. Jpn. Bot 74 (1999: 265); Ho in Ill. Fl. Vietnam 3 (1993: 585); Yang & Li in Acta Bot.

Yunnan., Suppl. 3 (1990: 82); Yang in Fl. Yunnan. 7 (1997: 673, t.216, f. 3 & 4) ; Li et al. in Fl. Guangxi 5 (2016: 216,

Figs. 1‒6 .).

Type: — VIETNAM. Tokin. Lang-Son: environs de Van Linh, alt. 100 m, November 1926, P. A. Pételot & M. E. Colani s.n. (holotype: P 00509925 photo!).

= O. ogisui M. N. Tamura & J. M. Xu (2007: 39) . syn. nov.; Averyanov et al. (2016: 24); Li et al. (2016: 216)

Type: — CHINA, Guangxi, Longzhou (ḭffl, in Tamura & Xu (2007) it was misspelled as longzhu), Jinlong, Gaoshan, Banbi, ca 440 m a.s.l., Mikinori Ogisu 250 (holotype: PE 01842104!).

Description: —Herb lithophytic, evergreen, perennial, acaulescent, densely clustered, completely glabrous. Rhizome stout and abbreviated; old roots reddish brown, lignified, ca. 3.5 mm in diam; young roots succulent, densely covered with white pubescence, 2.5–3 mm in diam. Foliage leaves 5–25, clustered on apical part of stem/rhizome, distinctly petiolate; petiole 8–32 cm long, 2.5–4.8 mm in diam., abaxially of the cross-section circular, adaxially somewhat flat; blade oblanceolate-oblong, acutely at apex, somewhat oblique proximally, 8.3–23.5 cm long, 2.0– 6.3 cm wide, adaxially glossy, deep green, with 21–49 longitudinal veins and numerous transverse veinlets, silvery stripes between longitudinal veins on abaxial surface. Peduncle 9.5–24 cm tall, 2 mm in diameter, purple, bracteate; sterile bracts 2–4, boat-shaped, dark purple, longcentrally pale green, marginally whitish, papery, ca. 1.8 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide, embracing peduncle; inflorescence racemose; erect, 8.5–13.5 cm long, ca. 2.5 mm in diameter. Flower hermaphroditic, urceolate, in clusters of 2 or 3–4, facing downward, often perpendicularto pedicel, up to 75 per rachis, usually nodding; pedicels terete, in fully open flower 12.5–20.5 mm long, 1.5 mm in diameter, jointed with basal stalky part (ca. 1–1.5 mm long) of flower, and articulation at the base of the entire peduncle, subtended at base by two bracts which are navicular, dark purple; out bract narrowly triangular, up to ca. 15 mm long, ca. 7.5 mm wide, base contracted into a handle; inner bract is broadly triangular, 5 mm long and 3.8 mm wide. Perianth distally 6-lobed, pink-purplish dorsally; dark purple inside; lobes in 2 whorls of 3, dimorphic as to shape and size between inner and outer whorls, 1-nerved; outer lobes elliptic, ca. 5.3 × 3.2 mm wide, excurved distally; inner lobes narrow elliptical, ca. 4.5 × 2.5 mm wide, apically recurved (outer lobes larger, paler in color, more distinctly recurved distally than outer lobes). Stamens 6, arranged almost in 1 whorl, shaped conic in assemblage (androecium); filaments swollen at base, 1.0– 1.2 mm long, ca. 0.8 mm wide, green; anthers dorsi-basifixed, valvately arranged, triangular, 1.5–2.3 mm long, ca. 1.3 mm wide, arrowshaped dehiscence at base, (greenish) yellow. Ovary inferior, 3-locular superior, septum absent at base to 1-locular. Style ca. 15 mm long, slender, white, exceeding perianth by 1 mm at maturity.

Phenology:—Flowering occurs in November; fruiting from December to August.

Distribution and habitat:— Ophiopogon tonkinensis is distributed in Southwestern Guangxi of China and Northern Vietnam. It grows in shady primary and secondary lowland forests of evergreen broad-leaved trees. Many specimens previously identified as belonging to this species in the herbarium are actually misidentified and belong to other species. Additionally, the distribution of this species in Yunnan requires further confirmation.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Ophiopogon tonkinensis. Vietnam, Lang-Son, environs de Van-Linh, P.A. Pételot s.n. (P00509925 photo!). Inset a: inflorescence, showing the flower urceolate and perianth segments apex reflexed.

FIGURE 2. Holotype of Ophiopogon ogisui (=O. tonkinensis).

FIGURE 3. Ophiopogon tonkinensis (from Longzhou, Guangxi, China, the type locality of O. ogisui, H.Z. Feng et al. 202411022). A. Flowers. B. Longitudinal section of flower; C. Longitudinal section of flower, with lobes removed; D & E. Flower, the cross-section of the upper half. Vietnam; F. Ovary, longitudinal section. G–I. Continuous cross sections of the same ovary; J. Upper surface of ovary; K & M. Continuous cross sections of J; L. The part between K and M.

FIGURE 4. Ophiopogon tonkinensis. A. Plant. B & C. Inflorescence. D & E. Flower, front view. F. Flower, views from side, with some lobes removed. G. Longitudinal section of flowers. H. Ovary, longitudinal section. I. Pistil. J–K. Stamens and part of ovary. Photos by H.Z. Feng, based on Ting Xu et al. 2321(SYS!),

FIGURE 5. Ophiopogon tonkinensis. A. Vietnam. Thai Nguyen Province, Vo Nhai District. D. Atha et al. NY-HN 193 (NY03958259). B, C & D. Vietnam. Lao Cai Province, A.L. Takhtajan 385 (LE01049923, LE01049848 & LE01049927).

FIGURE 6. Ophiopogon tonkinensis. Northern Vietnam, low limestone hills, cultivated in Hanoi, 8 Nov 2014, M.D. Nguyen & L. Averyanov s.n. (LE01049841 photo!);