Begonia pseudoscottii Girm., 2015

Hughes, Mark, Girmansyah, Deden & Ardi, Wisnu Handoyo, 2015, Further discoveries in the ever-expanding genus Begonia (Begoniaceae): fifteen new species from Sumatra, European Journal of Taxonomy 167, pp. 1-40 : 31-32

Begonia pseudoscottii Girm. sp. nov. § Sphenanthera

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77151650-1

Figs 2 , 15

Diagnosis

Differs from Begonia scottii Tebbitt (Tebbit 2005) in bearing fruit in clusters of 10–15 (not 2 or 4), with the fruit being fleshier and rounder, with ridges rather than small wings. The infructescence in terms of fruit number and shape is more similar to that of B. multangula Blume ( Blume 1827) , which has lobed leaves that are either subglabrous or have white hairs (not pink), and apical (not basal) more lax infructesences. The flowers have pink centres to the tepals (uniform white in B. scottii ) and the leaves have deep pink hairs (not white).

Etymology

The epithet refers to the previous confusion of this species with B. scottii ( Hughes & Girmansyah 2011b) .

Type

SUMATRA: Aceh, Boer ni Bias, 1300 m, 31 Aug. 1934, Van Steenis 6207 (holo-: BO).

Additional material

SUMATRA: North Sumatra, Gunong Batu Lopang, 10 km ESE of Lake Prapat, 1400–1500 m, 8 Jul. 1972, de Wilde & de Wilde-Duyfies 13531 ( BO, K); Aceh, Gunung Kemiri, 1696 m, 11 Mar. 2008, Wilkie et al. PW 678 ( E).

Description

Erect robust terrestrial herb 30–40 cm tall. Stem fleshy, repent at the base, rooting at the nodes, with simple white hairs, becoming glabrous with age. Stipules ovate-lanceolate, reddish, c. 15 × 9 mm, apex acuminate, keel with sparse short hairs. Leaves: petiole 16–26 cm long, terete, with dense white to pale pink hairs; lamina ovate, asymmetric, 17–23 × 14–18 cm, upper surface with short dense hairs, hairs deep pink when young becoming paler with age, basifixed, base cordate with lobes sometimes overlapping slightly, venation palmate-pinnate, margin sometimes slightly undulate, serrulate, teeth tipped by short glandular hairs, apex acute. Inflorescence axillary, usually borne near the base of the stem, total length c. 5 cm, a congested cyme, bisexual, with 10–25 flowers, male and female flowers open at the same time. Male flowers: pedicels with sparse minute hairs, 3.1–3.3 cm long; tepals 4, subequal, elliptic, outer pair adaxially hairy, pink with a white margin, 1.3 × 1–1.2 cm; inner pair, glabrous, paler pink with a white margin, 1.2 × 1 cm; androecium yellow, symmetric, loosely globose; stamens 60–70, filaments unequal, shorter in the basal stamens, anthers club-shaped, dehiscing through slits c. ¾ the length of the anther, slits lateral, connective extended. Female flowers: pedicels 8–10 mm long; ovary red, triangularglobose, sparsely hairy to glabrous, c. 10 × 10 mm; capsule 3-locular, placentae bifid; tepals 5, obovateoblong, outer 3 c. 15 × 8–13 mm, pink with a white margin, sparsely adaxially hairy, inner 2 c. 15 × 5 mm, white, glabrous; styles 3, greenish yellow, twice spirally twisted. Fruit 10–15 in number, on stiff pedicels c. 2 cm long, purple, berry-like, c. 12 × 15 mm, triangular-globose, fleshy, 3-ridged; apex truncate to rounded.

Distribution and habitat

In montane rainforest in North Sumatra and Aceh at altitudes of 1300–1700 m ( Fig. 2 ).

Conservation status

Begonia pseudoscotti does not appear to be common, but does have a fairly large distribution in northern Sumatra. The preference for mid to high montane forests which are not under heavy threat means that currently an IUCN category of Least Concern is appropriate.

Figures

Fig. 2. Map of Sumatra showing the full known species distributions based on collection localities. Each point may represent more than one collection.

Fig. 15. Begonia pseudoscottii Girm sp. nov. A. Habit. B. Inflorescence at the base of the plant, with mature fruit below and male and female flowers open at the top. C. Male flower. All photographs from a plant cultivated in Cibodas Botanic Garden (accession number C20090980/IY80, derived from material collected in Gunung Leuser National Park). Scale bars on insets = 1 cm.