(Asparagaceae), a new species from mid-eastern China revealed by morphological and molecular evidence.

A new species, Y.F.Hu & J.W.Shao (Asparagaceae), is described and illustrated. This species is similar to , and , but can be distinguished from by its racemose inflorescence, cylindrical hairless filaments and apex without a retrorse spur; from by its stout moniliform rhizome, straight stem and longer (1.7-2.2 cm long) floral tube; and from by its upper part straight stem, yellowish-green corolla, lobes excurved and earlier flowering. The complete chloroplast genome of this new species is 155,115-155,256 bp in length. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that is not genetically related to the above three morphological similar species, but is closely related to the two European species ( and ). This species is relatively common in mid-eastern China and has previously been confused with . As its wild resources have decreased in recent years due to over-exploitation for medicinal or edible purposes, we classify it as Near Threatened (NT) according to the IUCN Red List Criteria.