Begonia scintillans Dunn, 1920

Camfield, Rebecca & Hughes, Mark, 2018, A revision and one new species of Begonia L. (Begoniaceae, Cucurbitales) in Northeast India, European Journal of Taxonomy 396, pp. 1-116 : 84-88

Begonia scintillans Dunn [sect. Diploclinium ]

Figs 54 –55

Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Kew 1920: 111 ( Dunn 1920). – Type: India, Arunachal-Pradesh, Bapu Mountain, Rotung, Nov. 1911 – Mar. 1912, Burkill s.n. (lecto-: K000761475, here designated).

Citations in other publications

Burkill (1924: 289), Uddin (2007: 595), Dash (2010: 39).

Other material

INDIA: Arunachal-Pradesh: Bapu Mountain, Nov. 1911 – Mar. 1912, Burkill 36928 ( K 000634618); Bapu Mountain, Ripshing Sieng, Nov. 1911 – Mar. 1912, Burkill 36543 (n.v.); Bapu Mountain, Rotung, Nov. 1911 – Mar. 1912, Burkill 36219 (n.v.); Bapu Mountain, Rotung-Ripshing Sienge Ridge, Nov.

1911– Mar. 1912, Burkill 36820 (n.v.); Palin to Deed, Pal 513 ( ARUN n.v.). Meghalaya: Sillet Hills, De Silva s.n., Wallich Cat. No. 3679 p.p. (K-W, barcode K 000761430).

Description

Rhizomatous, creeping, monoecious herb, 7–15 cm high. Rhizome: 4–6 mm wide, red villose, internodes 3–5 cm long. Stipules: lanceolate, 6–11 × 4–6 mm, villose on reverse, persistent. Leaves: petiole 4–11 cm long, densely red villose; lamina ovate-orbicular, basifixed, base cordate with lobes not overlapping, 4.5–10 × 3.5–7 cm, asymmetric, upper surface dark green with small silver spots, densely pale strigose all over, underside red, red tomentose all over, denser on the veins, venation palmate, midrib 3–5.5 cm long; margin with minute serration, with dense red hairs; apex acuminate to acute. Inflorescence: axillary, few; peduncle red villose, branching 1–2 times, primary 3–7 cm, secondary 5–10 mm, with 1 female and 1– 2 male flowers; bracts ovate, 7–9 × 4–6 mm, pilose, margin pilose, persistent. Male flower: pedicel 20–30 mm long, red villose; tepals 4; outer tepals broad ovate, 15– 20 × 13–16 mm, coral pink, pilose on reverse, margin entire; inner tepals obovate, 10–16 × 10 –14 mm, coral pink, glabrous; androecium with 30–40 stamens, symmetric; filaments 2 mm long, fused into column; anther obovate, 1 mm long, dehiscing through slits along the length of anther, not hooded, connective retuse. Female flower: pedicel 7–10 mm long, red villose; bracteoles absent; tepals 4–5, obovate, 10–11 × 7–9 mm, coral pink, pilose on reverse, margin entire; ovary capsule obovoid, 9 × 5–6 mm, red villose, with one long triangular wing and two short crescent shaped wings; styles 3, deeply forked once and twisted once. Fruit: pendulous; capsule obovoid, 8–10 × 4–6 mm, red villose; wings extending slightly along the pedicel; longest wing rounded oblong 5 × 4–6 mm; shortest wings crescent shaped, 1–3 × 8–10 mm.

Distribution and phenology

Arunachal-Pradesh and Meghalaya; 500–2000 m. Flowering and fruiting: February to March.

Conservation status Least Concern. Begonia scintillans has an AOO of 24 km 2 and an EOO of 20,378 km 2 suggesting a

status of near threatened. However, this species is probably under-collected and is likely to have a wider distribution in the surrounding extensive undisturbed forests of Arunachal-Pradesh, the Sillet Hills and further afield. The species has been found near the Moulling National Park.

Remarks

This species was previously known only from the original material but one other specimen from the Sillet Hills has been located (De Silva s.n.). The fruit measurements were based on immature fruits as no mature fruits were present on the specimens. Begonia scintillans has a distinctive inflorescence, with a pair of male and female flowers often subtended by a single male flower ( Fig. 55 ).

Begonia scintillans is allied to B. thomsonii , which has a dense red indumentum all over; B. scintillans has a red indumentum on much of the plant, but white hairs on the upper leaf surface. Begonia thomsonii differs further in having more flowers per inflorescence, with the inflorescences being unisexual as far as can be observed from the available material. The habit also differs: B. scintillans has an elongate, creeping rhizome with the leaves evenly spaced; B. thomsonii has the leaves arising from a short rhizome, appearing fasciculate.The specimen from Meghalaya (De Silva s.n., Wallich Cat. No. 3679) is on a mixed sheet, and hence the locality should be treated with caution.

Begonia shilendrae Rekha Morris & P.D.McMillan [sect. Platycentrum ] Fig. 56 ; Table 1

The Begonian 79 (3–4): 63 ( Morris & McMillan 2012). – Type: India, Arunachal-Pradesh, Itanagar, 3 Apr. 2005, Morris AR1 (holo-: CLEMS).

Other material

INDIA: Arunachal-Pradesh: Itanagar, 3 Apr. 2005, Morris AR-1A (CLEMS); ibid., 3 Apr. 2005, Morris AR-1B (CLEMS); ibid., 3 Apr. 2005, Morris AR-1C (CLEMS); ibid., 17 Dec. 2005, Morris AR108 (CLEMS n.v.); ibid., 17 Dec. 2005, Morris AR109 (CLEMS n.v.); ibid., 17 Dec. 2005, Morris AR110 (CLEMS n.v.); ibid., 17 Dec. 2005, Morris AR111 (CLEMS n.v.).

Description

Rhizomatous, monoecious herb, 20–50 cm high. Rhizome: 10–20 mm wide, glabrous, internodes 5–25 mm long. Stipules: unseen. Leaves: petiole up to 40 cm, densely to sparsely villose; lamina broadly ovate, basifixed, base shallowly cordate to truncate, 18–35 × 8–30 cm, slightly asymmetric, upper surface matt green, glabrous, underside green, pubescent on veins near petiole, venation palmate; margin very deeply lobed, with 5–7 lobes, entire, glabrous; apex acuminate. Inflorescence: panicle or raceme of cymes, terminal, few; peduncle glabrous with hairs near base, branching 1–3 times, primary 10–30 cm long, secondary and tertiary ca 1 cm, up to 15 flowers; bracts unseen. Male flower: pedicel 5–15 mm long, glabrous; tepals 2; outer tepals cordate-ovate, 5–10 × 4–6 mm, rose pink to pale pink, glabrous, margin entire; androecium with 30–40 stamens, symmetric; filaments 1–3 mm long; fused at base; anther globose, 1 mm long, not hooded, connective not extended. Female flower: pedicel 10– 35 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles absent; tepals 2, ovate, 5–10 × 4–9 mm, rose pink to pale pink, glabrous, margin entire; ovary 2(–3)-locular, placentae bifid; capsule oblong-elliptic, with one long oblong wing and two very small oblong wings; styles 2–3, forked once and twisted once, persistent. Fruit: recurved; capsule elliptic, 9–13 × 3–5 mm, glabrous; wings extending along the pedicel and in front of capsule, unequal; longest wing rounded triangle, 15–20 × 10–14 mm; shortest wings oblong, 1–2 × 11–17 mm.

Distribution and phenology

Endemic to Arunachal-Pradesh; ca 450 m. Flowering: December to January; fruiting: December to February.

Conservation status

Data Deficient. Begonia shilendrae is only known from the type location in the lower mountains of Arunachal-Pradesh.

Remarks

The description is based on the protologue and photographs of the type; the notes therein describe the species as protandrous. This species is vegetatively similar to B. sikkimensis and B. koelzii in terms of having lacerate leaves; see notes under those species.

Figures

Fig. 55. Illustration of B. scintillans Dunn. A. Habit of plant. B. Stamen. C. Style. D. Immature fruit. E. Close up showing hairs. Drawn by Heather Raeburn. A, D–E from Burkill 36928; B–C from Burkill s.n. (K000761475); all K.

Fig. 56. Map showing the location of B. shilendrae Rekha Morris & P.D.McMillan specimens.