Peliosanthes multiflora - a newly discovered species in Phu Yen, Vietnam

Scientists from the Joint Vietnam-Russia Tropical Science and Technology Research Center (VRTC), in collaboration with their colleagues, have discovered a new species in the Song Hinh Protective Forest in Phu Yen province, southern Vietnam. The newly identified species has been scientifically named Peliosanthes multiflora, locally known as the “Huệ đá nhiều hoa”.

In an ecological and biodiversity survey conducted in the Song Hinh Protective Forest in January 2021, scientists from the VRTC research team discovered a new species belonging to the Peliosanthes genus, family Asparagaceae. The species has been named Peliosanthes multiflora. This species was formally described and published in the international scientific journal Phytotaxa in March 2025.

Until now, scientists have documented 108 species within the Peliosanthes genus. Species of Peliosanthes are widely distributed across South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, the species are naturally found from the northern to the southern regions, with some species being utilized as indigenous medicinal plants for the treatment of common ailments, such as “Sâm cau” (Peliosanthes teta) and “Sâm cau Krông Nô” (Peliosanthes micrantha).

Peliosanthes multiflora is a monocot herbaceous perennial plant, living in terrestrial environments. Its leaves and flower clusters primarily emerge at the apex of the rhizome. The inflorescence is panicle-shaped, reaching the length of up to 42 cm, often extending beyond the leaves, and typically carries around 100 flowers. The flowers are bisexual, facing upwards at a sharp angle to the flowering axis, and are characterized by a purple-brown color with occasional greenish spots. The perianths are broadly expanded, uniform in shape, and exhibit a purple-brown hue with streaks of greenish light. The diameter measures approximately 6 mm when the lobes are fully spread horizontally, and about 2.6 mm when the lobes are fully curved backward, with the apex of the petals touching the flower stalk. The fruit, when ripe, is cobalt blue and contains 1-5 seeds. The seeds are oval, measuring 14-16 mm in length and 9-11 mm in diameter.

The perianths are broadly expanded, uniform in shape, and exhibit a purple-brown hue with streaks of greenish light. The diameter measures approximately 6 mm when the lobes are fully spread horizontally, and about 2.6 mm when the lobes are fully curved backward, with the apex of the petals touching the flower stalk. The fruit, when ripe, is cobalt blue and contains 1-5 seeds. The seeds are oval, measuring 14-16 mm in length and 9-11 mm in diameter.

To date, only about 10 individuals of Peliosanthes multiflora have been recorded, occurring within an evergreen broadleaf forest habitat over an area with an approximate radius of 1 km at an elevation of 250 meters above sea level. The Song Hinh Protective Forest, part of the Deo Ca - Hon Vong Phu mountain range in southwestern Phu Yen Province, represents not only a biogeographical convergence zone but also a natural barrier delineating the distribution of various plant and animal species. This ecological complexity contributes to the region’s high biodiversity value and underscores the significance of its ecosystems and biological resources.

Headwaters of the Song Hinh (Source: Y Xim Ndu).

A section of the Song Hinh Hydropower Reservoir (Photo: Le Xuan Dac).

Location of Peliosanthes multiflora discovery in the Song Hinh Protective Forest (Photo: Le Xuan Dac).

Peliosanthes multiflora.

A: A plant in its natural forest habitat with an inflorescence;

B: Rhizome (indicated by the red arrow) and emerging shoots (side view);

C: Underside of the leaf blade (Source: M.S. Nuraliev).

Description of inflorescence, flowers, and fruit.

A: Inflorescence (side view); B: Blooming inflorescence (side view); C: Flower bud (side view); D, E: Flower (side view); F, G: Flower (top view); H, I: Flower (viewed from above); J: Longitudinal section of the flower; K: Ripe fruit (Source: M.S. Nuraliev).

Authors: Nguyen Vu Anh & Le Xuan Dac (Institute of Tropical Ecology/VRTC)

Ngoc Nguyen translated

Source: Ivan A. Kroupsky, Dmitry F. Lyskov, Mikhail S. Romanov, Victoria G. Drokina, Le Xuan Dac, Andrey N. Kuznetsov, Svetlana P. Kuznetsova, Khang Sinh Nguyen, Noriyuki Tanaka & Maxim S. Nuraliev. Peliosanthes multiflora (Asparagaceae), a small-flowered new species from Vietnam. Phytotaxa, 696(1):083-092. Doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.696.1.5.