''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Asparagaceae Asparagaceae (), known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, '' Asparagus officinalis''. This family includes both ...

, subfamily

Nolinoideae Nolinoideae is a monocot subfamily of the family Asparagaceae in the APG III system of 2009. It used to be treated as a separate family, Ruscaceae s.l. The family name is derived from the generic name of the type genus, '' Nolina''. The subfam ...

, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or less directly from ground level, where their flowers also appear. The number of species known has increased considerably from the 1980s onwards, with around 100 accepted . ''

Aspidistra elatior ''Aspidistra elatior'', the cast-iron-plant or bar-room plant, also known in Japanese as ''haran'' or ''baran'' (葉蘭) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Japan and Taiwan. Tolerant of neglect, it is widely cu ...

'' is common worldwide as a foliage

house plant A houseplant, also known as a pot plant, potted plant, or indoor plant, is an ornamental plant cultivated indoors. for aesthetic or practical purposes. These plants are commonly found in homes, offices, and various indoor spaces, where they contr ...

that is very tolerant of neglect. It and other species can also be grown in shade outside, where they are generally hardy to .

Description

Species of ''Aspidistra'' are

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

s growing from

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

s. The leaves are either solitary or are grouped in small "tufts" of two to four. They arise more or less directly from the rhizome, rather than being borne on stems. Each leaf has a long stalk (

petiole Petiole may refer to: *Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem *Petiole (insect anatomy) In entomology, petiole is the technical term for the narrow waist of some hymenopteran insects, especially ants, bees, and ...

) and a blade with many veins. The flowering stem ( scape) is usually very short so that the flowers appear low down among the leaves. The fleshy flowers are bell-, urn- or cup-shaped. They vary considerably in size and shape, although few are showy. The flowers of '' A. longipedunculata'' are yellow and, unusually for the genus, are borne on scapes up to high. '' A. grandiflora'' has spider-like flowers up to across. The flower has a large stigma with a flattened top. The fruit is a

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

, often with a single seed., in

Taxonomy

The genus ''Aspidistra'' was named by the English botanist John Ker Gawler in 1822, as a blend of Greek ασπίς/ασπίδ- ''aspid-'', meaning shield, and the name of the sister genus ''

Tupistra ''Tupistra'' is a genus of about 20 species of flowering plants found in south Asia, from southern China to Sumatra and Ambon Island. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly ...

''.''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...

'', 1933
''s.v.''
/ref> The genus was at one time placed in a broadly defined Liliaceae, along with many other

lilioid monocot Lilioid monocots (lilioids, liliid monocots, petaloid monocots, petaloid lilioid monocots) is an informal name used for a grade (grouping of taxa with common characteristics) of five monocot orders (Petrosaviales, Dioscoreales, Pandanales, Lil ...

s. It has also been placed in the families Convallariaceae and Ruscaceae. The

APG III system The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a f ...

of 2009 places it in the

, subfamily

Species

''Aspidistra'' is a genus that was largely ignored by field

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

s until the 1980s onwards, and there has been a rapid rise in the number of recognised species since then. Some 8 to 10 species were known in the late 1970s; 30 new species were described from China in the 1980s. Subsequently, more new species were found in Vietnam. The online ''Flora of China'' uses a narrow definition of species, producing a total of about 55, saying that the genus has "never been well studied". In 2008, Tillich provided the key to the 93 species known at that time. ''

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

'' currently includes:Plants of the World Online: ''Aspidistra'' Ker Gawl. (retrieved 17 October 2021)
/ref> # ''

Aspidistra acetabuliformis ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' Y.Wan & C.C.Huang – China (Guangxi) # ''

Aspidistra alata ''Aspidistra alata'' is a species of flowering plant. ''A. alata'' grows in evergreen and semideciduous forests on slopes of limestone mountains in Vietnam. Its name is derived from the Latin ''alatus'', meaning "winged", referring to its thin k ...

'' Tillich – Vietnam (Cao Bang) # ''

Aspidistra albiflora ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' C.R.Lin, W.B.Xu & Yan Liu # ''

Aspidistra albopurpurea ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' Aver. & Tillich # ''

Aspidistra alternativa ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' D.Fang & L.Y.Yu – China (Guangxi) # ''

Aspidistra anomala ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' Aver. & Tillich # ''

Aspidistra arnautovii ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' Tillich – Vietnam (Hai Phong) # ''

Aspidistra atrata ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' Aver., Tillich & B.H.Quang # ''

Aspidistra atroviolacea ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves ...

'' Tillich
(synonym ''A. renatae'' Bräuchler) – Vietnam (central) # '' Aspidistra attenuata'' Hayata # '' Aspidistra australis'' S.Z.He & W.F.Xu # '' Aspidistra austrosinensis'' Y.Wan & C.C.Huang – China (Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra austroyunnanensis'' G.W.Hu, Lei Cai & Q.F.Wang # '' Aspidistra averyanovii'' N.S.Lý & Tillich # '' Aspidistra babensis'' K.S.Nguyen, Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra bamaensis'' C.R.Lin, Y.Y.Liang & Yan Liu # '' Aspidistra basalis'' Tillich # '' Aspidistra bella'' Aver., Tillich & K.S.Nguyen # '' Aspidistra bicolor'' Tillich – Vietnam (Thai Nguyen) # '' Aspidistra bogneri'' Tillich – Vietnam (Ninh Binh) # '' Aspidistra brachypetala'' C.R.Lin & B.Pan # '' Aspidistra brachystyla'' Aver. & Tillich – Vietnam # '' Aspidistra cadamensis'' N.S.Lý & Tillich # '' Aspidistra caespitosa'' C.Pei – China (Sichuan) # '' Aspidistra campanulata'' Tillich – Vietnam (Tuyen Quang) # '' Aspidistra carinata'' Y.Wan & X.H.Lu – China (N Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra carnosa'' Tillich – Vietnam (Lam Dong) # '' Aspidistra cavicola'' D.Fang & K.C.Yen – China (NW Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra cerina'' G.Z.Li & S.C.Tang – China (Guangxi) # ''

Aspidistra chishuiensis ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves ...

'' S.Z.He & W.F.Xu # '' Aspidistra chongzuoensis'' C.R.Lin & Y.S.Huang # '' Aspidistra chunxiuensis'' C.R.Lin & Yan Liu # '' Aspidistra clausa'' Vislobokov # '' Aspidistra claviformis'' Y.Wan – China (W Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra cleistantha'' D.X.Nong & H.Z.Lü # '' Aspidistra coccigera'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra columellaris'' Tillich # '' Aspidistra connata'' Tillich – Vietnam (Gialai-Kontum) # '' Aspidistra corniculata'' Vislobokov # '' Aspidistra crassifila'' Yan Liu & C.I Peng # '' Aspidistra cruciformis'' Y.Wan & X.H.Lu – China (NW Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra cryptantha'' Tillich – Vietnam (Cao Bang) # '' Aspidistra cyathiflora'' Y.Wan & C.C.Huang – China (Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra cylindrica'' Vislobokov & Nuraliev # '' Aspidistra daibuensis'' Hayata – Taiwan # '' Aspidistra daxinensis'' M.F.Hou & Yan Liu # '' Aspidistra deflexa'' Aver., Tillich & V.T.Pham # '' Aspidistra dodecandra'' (Gagnep.) Tillich – Indo-China # '' Aspidistra dolichanthera'' X.X.Chen – China (SW Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra ebianensis'' K.Y.Lang & Z.Y.Zhu – China (Sichuan) # ''

'' Blume (synonym ''A.insularis'' Tillich) Japan (Ōsumi & Kuroshima Islands): houseplant # '' Aspidistra elegans'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra erecta'' Yan Liu & C.I Peng # '' Aspidistra erosa'' Aver., Tillich, T.A.Le & K.S.Nguyen # '' Aspidistra erythrocephala'' C.R.Lin & Y.Y.Liang # '' Aspidistra extrorsa'' C.R.Lin & D.X.Nong # '' Aspidistra fasciaria'' G.Z.Li – China (?Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra fenghuangensis'' K.Y.Lang – China (W Hunan) # '' Aspidistra fimbriata'' F.T.Wang & K.Y.Lang – China (Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan) # '' Aspidistra flaviflora'' K.Y.Lang & Z.Y.Zhu – China (SC Sichuan) # '' Aspidistra foliosa'' Tillich – Vietnam (Thua Thien) # '' Aspidistra fungilliformis'' Y.Wan – China (W Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra geastrum'' Tillich – Vietnam (Thua Thien) # '' Aspidistra glandulosa'' (Gagnep.) Tillich – Laos (La Khon) # '' Aspidistra globosa'' Vislobokov & Nuraliev # '' Aspidistra gracilis'' Tillich # '' Aspidistra graminifolia'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra grandiflora'' Tillich – Vietnam (Hoa Binh) # ''

Aspidistra guangxiensis ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' S.C.Tang & Yan Liu – China (Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra hekouensis'' H.Li – China (SE Yunnan) # '' Aspidistra hekouensis'' H.Li, C.L.Long & Bogner # '' Aspidistra heterocarpa'' Aver., Tillich & V.T.Pham # '' Aspidistra hezhouensis'' Q.Gao & Yan Liu # '' Aspidistra huanjiangensis'' G.Z.Li & Y.G.Wei – China (Gunangxi) # '' Aspidistra jiangjinensis'' S.R.Yi & C.R.Lin # '' Aspidistra jiewhoei'' Tillich & Škornick. # '' Aspidistra jingxiensis'' Yan Liu & C.R.Lin # '' Aspidistra khangii'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra laongamensis'' C.R.Lin & X.Y.Huang # '' Aspidistra laotica'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra lateralis'' Tillich – Vietnam (Thua Thien) # '' Aspidistra letreae'' Aver., Tillich & T.A. Le – Vietnam (Thua Thien) # '' Aspidistra leshanensis'' K.Y.Lang & Z.Y.Zhu – China (SC Sichuan) # '' Aspidistra leucographa'' C.R.Lin & C.Y.Zou # '' Aspidistra leyeensis'' Y.Wan & C.C.Huang – China (NW Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra liboensis'' S.Z.He & J.Y.Wu # '' Aspidistra linearifolia'' Y.Wan & C.C.Huang – China (W Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra lingchuanensis'' C.R.Lin & L.F.Guo # '' Aspidistra lingyunensis'' C.R.Lin & L.F.Guo # '' Aspidistra lobata'' Tillich – China (Sichuan) # '' Aspidistra locii'' Arnautov & Bogner – Vietnam # '' Aspidistra longanensis'' Y.Wan – China (WC Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra longgangensis'' C.R.Lin, Y.S.Huang & Yan Liu # '' Aspidistra longiconnectiva'' C.T.Lu, K.C.Chuang & J.C.Wang # '' Aspidistra longifolia'' Hook.f. – India # '' Aspidistra longiloba'' G.Z.Li – China (Guangxi) # ''

Aspidistra longipedunculata ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' D.Fang – China (SW Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra longipetala'' S.Z.Huang – China (C Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra longituba'' Yan Liu & C.R.Lin # '' Aspidistra longshengensis'' C.R.Lin & W.B.Xu # '' Aspidistra lubae'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra luochengensis'' B.Pan & C.R.Lin # '' Aspidistra luodianensis'' D.D.Tao – China (NW Guangxi, S Guizhou) # ''

Aspidistra lurida ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' Ker Gawl. – China (Guangdong, NC Guangxi, SC Guizhou) - type species # '' Aspidistra lutea'' Tillich – Vietnam (Son La) # '' Aspidistra maguanensis'' S.Z.He & D.H.Lv # '' Aspidistra marasmioides'' Tillich – Vietnam (Hai Phong) # '' Aspidistra marginella'' D.Fang & L.Zeng – China (SW Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra medusa'' Aver., K.S.Nguyen & Tillich # '' Aspidistra micrantha'' Vislobokov & Nuraliev # '' Aspidistra minor'' Vislobokov, Nuraliev & M.S.Romanov # '' Aspidistra minutiflora'' Stapf – China (N Guangdong, Guangxi, ?Guizhou, Hainan, Hong Kong, SW Hunan) # '' Aspidistra mirostigma'' Tillich & Škornick. # '' Aspidistra molendinacea'' G.Z.Li & S.C.Tang – China (Guangzi) # '' Aspidistra multiflora'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra muricata'' F.C.How – China (NC & W Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra mushaensis'' Hayata – Taiwan # '' Aspidistra nanchuanensis'' Tillich – China (Sichuan) # '' Aspidistra nankunshanensis'' Yan Liu & C.R.Lin # '' Aspidistra neglecta'' Aver., Tillich & K.S.Nguyen # '' Aspidistra nigra'' Aver., Tillich & K.S.Nguyen # '' Aspidistra nikolaii'' Aver. & Tillich – Vietnam (Annamite Mts.) # '' Aspidistra nutans'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra obconica'' C.R.Lin & Yan Liu # '' Aspidistra oblanceifolia'' F.T.Wang & K.Y.Lang – China (S Guizhou, W Hubei, Sichuan) # '' Aspidistra obliquipeltata'' D.Fang & L.Y.Yu – China (Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra oblongifolia'' F.T.Wang & K.Y.Lang – China (N Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra obtusata'' Vislobokov # '' Aspidistra omeiensis'' Z.Y.Zhu & J.L.Zhang – China (Sichuan) # '' Aspidistra opaca'' Tillich – Vietnam (Khanh Hoa) # '' Aspidistra ovatifolia'' Yan Liu & C.R.Lin # '' Aspidistra oviflora'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra papillata'' G.Z.Li – China (Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra patentiloba'' Y.Wan & X.H.Lu – China (C Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra paucitepala'' Vislobokov, Nuraliev & D.D.Sokoloff # '' Aspidistra petiolata'' Tillich – Vietnam (Thua Thien) # '' Aspidistra phanluongii'' Vislobokov – Vietnam # '' Aspidistra pileata'' D.Fang & L.Y.Yu – China (Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra pingfaensis'' S.Z.He & Q.W.Sun # '' Aspidistra pingtangensis'' S.Z.He, W.F.Xu & Q.W.Sun # ''

Aspidistra phongdiensis ''Aspidistra phongdiensis'' (Vietnamese: or ) is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Aspidistra''. It is endemic to central Vietnam and was known from Phong Dien Nature Reserve, Hue In color theory, hue is one of the properties ( ...

'' D. Dien, T.A. Le & Vislobokov # '' Aspidistra pulchella'' B.M.Wang & Yan Liu # '' Aspidistra punctata'' Lindl. – China (Guandong, Hong Kong) # '' Aspidistra punctatoides'' Yan Liu & C.R.Lin # '' Aspidistra purpureomaculata'' H.C.Xi, J.T.Yin & W.G.Wang # '' Aspidistra qijiangensis'' S.Z.He & X.Y.Luo # '' Aspidistra quadripartita'' G.Z.Li & S.C.Tang - China (Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra quangngaiensis'' N.S.Lý, Haev. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra radiata'' G.W.Hu & Q.F.Wang # '' Aspidistra recondita'' Tillich – Vietnam (location not known) # '' Aspidistra retusa'' K.Y.Lang & S.Z.Huang – China (NE Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra revoluta'' Hao Zhou, S.R.Yi & Q.Gao # '' Aspidistra ronganensis'' C.R.Lin, Jing Liu & W.B.Xu # '' Aspidistra sarcantha'' Aver., Tillich, T.A.Le & K.S.Nguyen # '' Aspidistra saxicola'' Y.Wan – China (WC Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra semiaperta'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra sessiliflora'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra sichuanensis'' K.Y.Lang & Z.Y.Zhu – China (Guangxi, Guizhou, W Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan) # '' Aspidistra sinensis'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra sinuata'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra spinula'' S.Z.He – China (Guizhou) # '' Aspidistra stellata'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra stenophylla'' C.R.Lin & R.C.Hu # ''

Aspidistra stricta ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves arise more or les ...

'' Tillich – Vietnam (Lam Dong) # '' Aspidistra subrotata'' Y.Wan & C.C.Huang – China (S & W Guangxi), Vietnam (Thai Nguyen) # '' Aspidistra superba'' Tillich – Vietnam (Ninh Binh) # '' Aspidistra sutepensis'' K.Larsen – Vietnam (Paypa) # '' Aspidistra synpetala'' C.R.Lin & Yan Liu # '' Aspidistra tenuifolia'' C.R.Lin & J.C.Yang # '' Aspidistra tillichiana'' O.Colin # '' Aspidistra tonkinensis'' (Gagnep.) F.T.Wang & K.Y.Lang – China (NW Guangxi, S Guizhou, SE Yunnan), Vietnam # '' Aspidistra triloba'' F.T.Wang & K.Y.Lang – China (SC Hunan, W Jiangxi) # '' Aspidistra triquetra'' Aver., Son, Tillich & K.S.Nguyen # '' Aspidistra triradiata'' Vislobokov # '' Aspidistra truongii'' Aver. & Tillich – Vietnam # '' Aspidistra tubiflora'' Tillich – China (Sichuan) # '' Aspidistra typica'' Baill. – China (SW Guangxi, SE Yunnan), Vietnam # '' Aspidistra umbrosa'' Tillich – Vietnam (location not known) # '' Aspidistra urceolata'' F.T.Wang & K.Y.Lang – China (Guizhou) # '' Aspidistra ventricosa'' Tillich & Škornick. # '' Aspidistra verruculosa'' Aver., Tillich & D.D.Nguyen - Vietnam (Di Linh plateau) # ''

Aspidistra vietnamensis ''Aspidistra'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, particularly China and Vietnam. They grow in shade under trees and shrubs. Their leaves ...

'' (Aver. & Tillich) Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra viridiflora'' Vislobokov & Nuraliev # '' Aspidistra wujiangensis'' W.F.Xu & S.Z.He # '' Aspidistra xichouensis'' Lei Cai, Z.L.Dao & G.W.Hu # '' Aspidistra xilinensis'' Y.Wan & X.H.Lu – China (NW Guangxi) # '' Aspidistra xuansonensis'' Vislobokov # '' Aspidistra yizhouensis'' B.Pan & C.R.Lin # '' Aspidistra yunwuensis'' S.Z.He & W.F.Xu # '' Aspidistra zhangii'' Aver., Tillich & K.S.Nguyen # '' Aspidistra zhenganensis'' S.Z.He & Y.Wang # '' Aspidistra zinaidae'' Aver. & Tillich # '' Aspidistra zongbayi'' K.Y.Lang & Z.Y.Zhu – China (Sichuan)

Distribution and ecology

Species of ''Aspidistra'' are part of the ground flora, growing in forests and under shrubs, in areas of high rainfall, from eastern

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...

and

through to

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The largest number of species are found in

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

Province, China, with Vietnam occupying second place. Few species have a broad distribution, with many being endemic to China or Vietnam. It has long been said that

slug Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less Terrestrial mollusc, terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced ...

s and

snail A snail is a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gas ...

pollinate Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or butterflies; birds ...

''Aspidistra'' flowers. This has been described as a "myth".

Amphipod Amphipoda () is an order of malacostracan crustaceans with no carapace and generally with laterally compressed bodies. Amphipods () range in size from and are mostly detritivores or scavengers. There are more than 10,700 amphipod species cur ...

s, small terrestrial

crustaceans Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of Arthropod, arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquat ...

, are responsible for pollinating ''A. elatior'' in Japan. Amphipods have also been shown to pollinate species of ''Aspidistra'' introduced to Australia.

Springtail Springtails (class Collembola) form the largest of the three lineages of modern Hexapoda, hexapods that are no longer considered insects. Although the three lineages are sometimes grouped together in a class called Entognatha because they have in ...

s and

fungus gnat Fungus gnats are small, dark, short-lived gnats, of the families Sciaridae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Bolitophilidae, and Mycetophilidae (order Diptera); they comprise six of the seven families placed in the superfamily Sc ...

s have also been suggested as pollinators. The newly described Vietnamese species ''A. phanluongii'' is probably pollinated by flies of the genus ''

Megaselia ''Megaselia'' is a genus of flies in the family Phoridae The Phoridae are a family of small, hump-backed flies resembling fruit flies. Phorid flies can often be identified by their escape habit of running rapidly across a surface rather than ...

''.

Cultivation and uses

'', the "cast-iron plant", is a popular houseplant, surviving shade, cool conditions and neglect. It is one of several species of ''Aspidistra'' that can be grown successfully outdoors in shade in temperate climates, where they will generally cope with temperatures down to , being killed by frosts of or below. In addition to shade, aspidistras require an open, acidic and humus-rich soil. Species suggested for growing outdoors in the UK include '' A. diabuensis'', ''A. elatior'', '' A. lurida'', '' A. typica'', '' A. zongbyi'' and their cultivars. In Japan, leaves of ''A. elatior'' have traditionally been cut into pieces and used in

bento A is a Japanese-style single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch, typically including rice and packaged in a box with a lid (often a segmented box with different parts of the meal placed in different sections). Outside Japa ...

and

osechi (御節料理, お節料理 or おせち) are traditional Japanese New Year foods. are easily recognizable by their special boxes called '' jūbako'' (重箱), which resemble '' bentō'' boxes. Like ''bentō'' boxes, ''jūbako'' are often ke ...

boxes to keep each food separated. However, imitations called "baran" are commonly used now.

In popular culture

As a popular foliage houseplant, ''A. elatior'' became popular in late

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

and was so common that it became a "symbol of dull middle-class respectability". As such, it was central to

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

's novel ''

Keep the Aspidistra Flying ''Keep the Aspidistra Flying'', first published in 1936, is a socially critical novel by George Orwell set in 1930s London. The main theme is Gordon Comstock's romantic ambition to defy worship of the money-god and status, and the dismal lif ...

'', as a symbol of the need of the middle class to maintain respectability according to Gordon Comstock, the novel's protagonist. It was further immortalised in the 1938 song " The Biggest Aspidistra in the World", which, as sung by

Gracie Fields Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 189827 September 1979) was a British actress, singer and comedian. A star of cinema and music hall, she was one of the top ten film stars in Britain during the 1930s and was considered the h ...

, became a popular wartime classic. An aspidistra is mentioned in the

Wallace and Gromit ''Wallace & Gromit'' is a British claymation comedy media franchise, franchise created by Nick Park and produced by Aardman Animations. The series centres on Wallace, a good-natured, eccentric, cheese-loving bachelor inventor, and Gromit, his ...

short, "The Autochef", from the ''

Cracking Contraptions ''Wallace & Gromit's Cracking Contraptions'' is a British series of ten ''Wallace & Gromit'' stop motion animations varying in length from 1 to 3 minutes. Each episode features one of Wallace's new inventions and Gromit's skeptical reaction to it. ...

'' series. In two

Dorothy L. Sayers Dorothy Leigh Sayers ( ; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime novelist, playwright, translator and critic. Born in Oxford, Sayers was brought up in rural East Anglia and educated at Godolphin School in Salisbury and Somerv ...

books from the mid-1930s, ''

Busman's Honeymoon ''Busman's Honeymoon'' is a 1937 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her eleventh and last featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and her fourth and last to feature Harriet Vane. Plot introduction Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane marry and go to spend the ...

'' and ''

The Nine Tailors ''The Nine Tailors'' is a 1934 mystery novel by the British writer Dorothy L. Sayers, her ninth featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. The story is set in the Lincolnshire Fens, and revolves around a group of bell-ringers at the local parish church. The ...

'', characters make disparaging remarks about aspidistras. Aspidistras can withstand deep shade, neglect, dry soil, hot temperatures and polluted indoor air (from burning coal or

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

) but are sensitive to bright sunlight. "Aspidistra" was the codename (inspired by the above song) of a very powerful British radio transmitter used for propaganda and deception purposes against Nazi Germany during World War II. The 1980s British television show ''

The Adventure Game ''The Adventure Game'' was a game show originally broadcast on UK television channels BBC1 and BBC2 between 24 May 1980 and 18 February 1986. The story in each show was that the two celebrity contestants and a member of the public had travel ...

'' featured a moving aspidistra called the Rangdo of Arg, operated by Kenny Baker.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Gallery of ''Aspidistra''
Juniper Level Botanic Gardens Aspidistra Collection {{Taxonbar, from=Q1429377 Asparagaceae genera Garden plants of Asia