Aspidistra
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 Aspidistra elatior
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Aspidistra species inhabit the floors of east Asian forests from eastern India, Indo-China, China and Japan. Aspidistra is one of those genera that has been ignored by field botanists until quite recently and there has been a very rapid rise in the number of recognised species in recent years. Most books state that there are 8 to 10 species, which represents our knowledge up to the late 1970's. Then in the 1980's 30 new species were described from China. Based on current knowledge China has the most species with some 59 of which 54 are endemic. The biodiversity 'hotspot' of the genus seems to be Guangxi Province from where no less than 39 species have been described. New species are still being found and the focus has shifted to Vietnam from where 16 new species have recently been described. Currently there are around 80 Aspidistra species known although it has been speculated that there may be more than 100.
It has long been erroneously assumed that slugs and snails pollinate Aspidistra flowers. It has been speculated that fungus gnats may be involved in pollination of some species but recent research in Japan has shown that tiny terrestrial crustaceans called amphipods are responsible for pollinating Aspidistra elatior.
- Species
1. Aspidistra acetabuliformis, China (Guangxi) 2. Aspidistra alternativa, China (Guangxi) 3. Aspidistra arnautovii, Vietnam (Hai Phong) 4. Aspidistra attenuata, Taiwan 5. Aspidistra atroviolacea, Vietnam (Thua Thien) 6. Aspidistra austrosinensis, China (Guangxi) 7. Aspidistra bicolor, Vietnam (Thai Nguyen) 8. Aspidistra bogneri, Vietnam (Ninh Binh) 9. Aspidistra caespitosa, China (Sichuan) 10. Aspidistra carinata, China (N Guangxi) 11. Aspidistra carnosa, Vietnam (Lam Dong) 12. Aspidistra cavicola, China (NW Guangxi) 13. Aspidistra cerina, China (Guangxi) 14. Aspidistra claviformis, China (W Guangxi) 15. Aspidistra connata, Vietnam (Gialai-Kontum) 16. Aspidistra cruciformis, China (NW Guangxi) 17. Aspidistra cyathiflora, China (Guangxi) 18. Aspidistra daibuensis, Taiwan 19. Aspidistra dodecandra, Indo-China 20. Aspidistra dolichanthera, China (SW Guangxi) 21. Aspidistra ebianensis, China (Sichuan) 22. Aspidistra elatior, Japan (Osumi Islands) 23. Aspidistra fasciaria, China (?Guangxi) 24. Aspidistra fenghuangensis, China (W Hunan) 25. Aspidistra fimbriata, China (Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan) 26. Aspidistra flaviflora, China (SC Sichuan) 27. Aspidistra foliosa, Vietnam (Thua Thien) 28. Aspidistra fungilliformis, China (W Guangxi) 29. Aspidistra geastrum, Vietnam (Thua Thien) 30. Aspidistra glandulosa, Vietnam 31. Aspidistra guangxiensis, China (Guangxi) 32. Aspidistra hainanensis, China (S Guangdong, EC Guangxi, S Hainan) 33. Aspidistra hekouensis, China (SE Yunnan) 34. Aspidistra huanjiangensis, China (Gunangxi) 35. Aspidistra insularis Japan, Kuroshima Island 36. Aspidistra lateralis, Vietnam (Thua Thien) 37. Aspidistra leshanensis, China (SC Sichuan) 38. Aspidistra leyeensis, China (NW Guangxi) 39. Aspidistra linearifolia, China (W Guangxi) 40. Aspidistra lobata, China (Sichuan) 41. Aspidistra locii, Vietnam 42. Aspidistra longanensis, China (WC Guangxi) 43. Aspidistra longifolia (India) 44. Aspidistra longiloba, China (Guangxi) 45. Aspidistra longipedunculata, China (SW Guangxi) 46. Aspidistra longipetala, China (C Guangxi) 47. Aspidistra luodianensis, China (NW Guangxi, S Guizhou) 48. Aspidistra lurida, China (Guangdong, NC Guangxi, SC Guizhou) 49. Aspidistra lutea, Vietnam (Son La) 50. Aspidistra marasmioides, Vietnam (Hai Phong) 51. Aspidistra marginella, China (SW Guangxi) 52. Aspidistra minutiflora, China (N Guangdong, Guangxi, ?Guizhou, Hainan, Hong Kong, SW Hunan) 53. Aspidistra molendinacea, China (Guangzi) 54. Aspidistra muricata, China (NC & W Guangxi) 55. Aspidistra mushaensis, Taiwan 56. Aspidistra nanchuanensis, China (Sichuan) 57. Aspidistra oblanceifolia, China (S Guizhou, W Hubei, Sichuan) 58. Aspidistra obliquipeltata, China (Guangxi) 59. Aspidistra oblongifolia, China (N Guangxi) 60. Aspidistra omeiensis, China (Sichuan) 61. Aspidistra opaca, Vietnam (Khanh Hoa) 62. Aspidistra papillata, China (Guangxi) 63. Aspidistra patentiloba, China (C Guangxi) 64. Aspidistra petiolata, Vietnam (Thua Thien) 65. Aspidistra pileata, China (Guangxi) 66. Aspidistra punctata, China (Guandong, Hong Kong) 67. Aspidistra quadripartita, China (Guangxi) 68. Aspidistra retusa, China (NE Guangxi) 69. Aspidistra saxicola, China (WC Guangxi) 70. Aspidistra sichuanensis, China (Guangxi, Guizhou, W Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan) 71. Aspidistra spinula, China (Guizhou) 72. Aspidistra stricta, Vietnam (Lam Dong) 73. Aspidistra subrotata China (S & W Guangxi), Vietnam (Thai Nguyen) 74. Aspidistra superba, Vietnam (Ninh Binh) 75. Aspidistra tonkinensis, China (NW Guangxi, S Guizhou, SE Yunnan), Vietnam 76. Aspidistra triloba, China (SC Hunan, W Jiangxi) 77. Aspidistra tubiflora, China (Sichuan) 78. Aspidistra typica, China (SW Guangxi, SE Yunnan), Vietnam 79. Aspidistra urceolata, China (Guizhou) 80. Aspidistra xilinensis, China (NW Guangxi) 81. Aspidistra yingjiangensis, China (W Yunnan) 82. Aspidistra zongbayi, China (Sichuan)
[edit] Cultivation and uses
Aspidistra elatior is a popular foliage houseplant, grown for its ability to survive neglect and very shady indoor conditions. George Orwell satirized it for being popular among middle-class England in his novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936).
In the BBC series 'The Adventure Game' Rangdo, the ruler of the planet Arg, appears as an Aspidistra.
Jeremy Brett starred in an episode of Country Matters called "An Aspidistra in Babylon (1973)"
Jeremy Brettwhile playing Sherlock Holmes in "The Cardboard Box" <an Episode of "the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" (1994)> yells vigoursly at Mrs Hudson played by Rosalie Williams not to murder his Aspidistra plant as she takes it downstairs for better care.
"The Biggest Aspidistra In The World" is a comedy song by Harper, Haines and Connor popularly sung by Gracie Fields.[1]
As a detail to emphasize Wallace & Gromit being a (relatively) typical English household, the Cracking Contraptions sequence, "The Autochef," has Wallace mention having an aspidistra in their house.
