Rediscovery of Tupistra stoliczkana (Asparagaceae) in northeastern India and the identity of T. ashihoi

Mainland Southeast Asia, particularly southern China and eastern Indochina, is known as an important centre of diversity for Asparagaceae (Averynov & Tanaka 2012). Tupistra Ker Gawler (1814: 1655) belonging to the subfamily Nolinoideae (Chase et al. 2009) comprises a little more than 30 species (Averyanov et al. 2019). They spread across southern and south-eastern Asia, including Nepal, Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia (Tanaka 2010a). The genus is characterized usually by the leaves tapering into petiole, a relatively large stigma broader than the style, except for the very uncommon species T. siphonantha Tanaka, Vislobokov & Hannon (2018: 32), a stout terete style almost as thick as the ovary and tuberculate (rarely smooth), globular berry-like fruits (Tanaka 2010a). Eight species of Tupistra have been reported for India: T. ashihoi Roy, Odyuo & Averyanov (2017:52), T. clarkei Hooker (1892: 325), T. khasiana Roy, Mao & Averyanov (2017: 257), T. nagarum Odyuo, Roy & Mao (2018:2), T. nutans Wall. ex Lindley (1839: 1223), T. stoliczkana Kurz (1876: 199), T. tupistroides (Kunth 1848: 12) Dandy (1932: 329), and T. leonidii Roy & Mao (2018: 37). Among them, T. ashihoi and T. stoliczkana have an upright flowering stem, whereas the others have a flowering stem curved downwards.