This paper continues the publication of newly obtained results from a continuing taxonomic investigation of the genus Aspidistra in mainland southeast Asia. It includes descriptions and illustrations of seven taxa discovered in China and Vietnam, A. deflexa Aver., Tillich & V.T. Pham, A. heterocarpa Aver., Tillich & V. T. Pham var. heterocarpa, A. heterocarpa Aver., Tillich & V. T. Pham var. echinata Aver., Tillich & T.A. Le, A. nigra Aver., Tillich & K. S. Nguyen, A. sessiliflora Aver. & Tillich, A. sinuata Aver. & Tillich and A. tonkinensis (Gagnep.) F. T. Wang & K. Y. Lang var. compacta Aver. & Tillich. Specific taxonomic status is proposed for A. vietnamensis (Aver. & Tillich) Aver & Tillich. described at first as a variety of A. elatior Blume. The name A. connata Tillich is accepted as a synonym of A. subrotata Y. Wan & C. C. Huang. One species, A. hainanensis W. Y. Chun & F. C. How is reported as new for the flora of Vietnam, and another one, A. semiaperta Aver. & Tillich as new for the flora of Laos. New or updated data on ecology, phenology, tentative relationships, distribution and conservation status are reported for all mentioned taxa.
Since last account of the genus Aspidistra Ker Gawler (1822: 628) in Vietnam reported 43 species (Tillich 2014), at least 25 additional species were discovered and described in this country (Averyanov & Tillich 2014, 2015, 2016, Vislobokov et al. 2014a, 2014b, 2016, Leong-Skornickova et al. 2014, Olivier 2015, Ly & Tilllich 2015, Vislobokov 2015, 2016, Averyanov et al. 2016). Meanwhile, the diversity of the genus in Vietnam and allied countries remains insufficiently inventoried. One more new species of Aspidistra, named here as A. letreae was discovered recently in central Vietnam. This species is described and illustrated with data on its ecology, phenology, tentative relations, distribution and expected conservation status. The new species somewhat resembles Aspidistra truongii Averyanov & Tillich (2013: 108), A. obtusata Vislobokov (2016: 694) and Aspidistra zhangii Averyanov, Tillich & Nguyen in Averyanov et al. (2016: 62), but differs clearly by a series of morphological features noted below.
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