Begonia versicolor Irmscher (1939: 546)

Averyanov, Leonid V., Nuraliev, Maxim S., Konstantinov, Eugene L., Maisak, Tatiana V., Kopylov-Guskov, Yury O., Lyskov, Dmitry F., Quang, Bui Hong, Kuznetsov, Andrey N., Kuznetsova, Svetlana P., Nguyen, Khang Sinh & Shui, Yu-Min, 2021, New and noteworthy species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from Vietnam and Laos, Phytotaxa 522 (2), pp. 75-93 : 85

5. Begonia versicolor Irmscher (1939: 546) ( Fig. 5 )

Smith et al. (1986: 248, Fig. 25.23), Ku (1999: 250), Shui & Huang (1999: 18), Shui et al. (2002: 321, 2019b: 219), Huang & Shui (2006: 224), Gu et al. (2007: 202), Shui & Chen (2017: 260), Hughes et al. (2018: 339), Wang et al. (2019: 52, Fig. 3 ).

B. sect. Platycentrum ( Klotzsch 1855: 243) de Candolle (1859: 134).

TYPE:— CHINA. Yunnan Province: Mengzi, damp forests of the Red River , 1830–2130 m, February 1896 , W. Hancock 468 (lectotype, designated by Shui & Huang [1999: 18]: K: K000761493 photo!) .

Ecology and phenology:— Forests, shady moist environments on slopes and along stream banks, at 800–2100 m a.s.l. Flowering in June–October, fruiting from July.

Distribution:— China: SE Yunnan; northern Vietnam: Ha Giang Province (districts Quan Ba and Vi Xuyen).

Notes:— The presence of this species in Vietnam is confirmed here by specimen citation for the first time. Li et al. (2018) treated B. versicolor as a narrow endemic of southeast Yunnan. Hughes et al. (2015 –, 2018) indicated B. versicolor to inhabit northern Vietnam, and Pham et al. (2021) listed it for the country, but they have not provided any documentation of their records.

The specimens Averyanov et al. VR 1450 and Averyanov et al. VR 1514 were erroneously assigned by Averyanov et al. (2020) to B. discolor R.Brown in Aiton (1813: 284), which is currently treated as a synonym of the Chinese endemic B. grandis Dryander (1791: 163) ( Gu et al. 2007). In line with our re-identification of these specimens, we confirm that B. grandis is unknown from Vietnam at present time.

Specimens examined:— VIETNAM. Ha Giang Province: Quan Ba District, Tung Vai Commune, Thang Village , around point 23°03’04.2’’N 104°51’09.7’’E, steep rocky slopes near mountain top composed with eroded stratified highly eroded limestone at elevation 1200–1450 m a.s.l., primary evergreen broad-leaved very humid forest, lithophytic herb on steep rocky slope, leaves dark green above, pale light green with unclear purplish radiating spots below, locally common, 24 April 2018, L. Averyanov, Nguyen Sinh Khang, Nguyen Tien Hiep, Nguyen Quang Hieu, Chuong Quang Ngan, T. Maisak, VR 794 ( LE: LE01050193 http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=4045) ; Ha Giang Province: Quan Ba District, Tung Vai Commune, Thang Village , around point 23°03’12.6’’N 104°51’52.1’’E, steep rocky slopes of river valley composed with eroded limestone mixed with sandstone at elevation 1000–1100 m a.s.l., remnants of primary evergreen broad-leaved very humid forest along river, terrestrial and lithophytic herb on very steep shady river slope, leaves dirty purple marked above, not common, 07 October 2019, L. Averyanov, Nguyen Sinh Khang, T. Maisak, VR 1450 ( LE: LE01066974 http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=12755; photo LE: LE01061058 http://en.herbariumle. ru/?t=occ&id=13034) ; Ha Giang Province: Quan Ba District, Thai An Commune, Seo Lung Two Village , around point 22°58’11.6’’N 105°05’11.3’’E, very steep mountain slopes composed of stratified shale and clayey subsoil at elevation 800–1000 m a.s.l., primary and secondary evergreen broad-leaved humid forest, terrestrial rosulate rhizomatous herb on steep shady slope, leaves above dark green to purple, often with palmate spots, below dark purple, flowers pink, anthers yellow, occasional, 10 October 2019, L. Averyanov, Nguyen Sinh Khang, T. Maisak, VR 1514 ( LE: LE01067108 http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=12829; photos LE: LE01070176 http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=13171) ; Ha Giang Province: Vi Xuyen District, Cao Bo Municipality, Tay Con Linh Nature Reserve , disturbed forest on slope, 22°46’35’’N 104°53’15’’E, elev. 1310 m, 19 October 2019, Nuraliev M. S., Kopylov-Guskov Yu. O., Lyskov D. F. 3004 ( MW: MW0757089 , MW0757090 ; photos LE: LE01093022 http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=43977) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Begonia maculifolia. A. Habit. B. Rhizome with petiole bases and young inflorescences.C, D. Leaf blade, adaxial and abaxial surfaces. E. Staminate flower, front view. F. Androecium, front view. G. Staminate flower, back view. H–J. Pistillate flower, side, front and back views. K. Dried capsule, front view. Nuraliev 2463a (holotype; A, H–J) and Nuraliev, Kuznetsov, Kuznetsova 2414 (paratype; B–G, K). Photos and design by M. Nuraliev.

FIGURE 5. Begonia versicolor. A. Habit. B, C. Leaf blade, adaxial and abaxial surfaces. D. Node, showing stipules. E. Part of inflorescence. F. Pistillate and staminate flowers, front view. G. Pistillate flower, oblique view. H. Cross section of fruit. I, J. Fruit, front and side views. Averyanov, Nguyen Sinh Khang, Maisak, VR 1514 (A, E, G) and Nuraliev, Kopylov-Guskov, Lyskov 3004 (B–D, F, H–J). Photos and design by L. Averyanov and M. Nuraliev.