Begonia pedemontana Moonlight, 2023

Moonlight, Peter. W., Jara-Muñoz, Orlando A., Purvis, David A., Delves, Jay, Allen, Josh P. & Reynel, Carlos, 2023, The genus Begonia (Begoniaceae) in Peru, European Journal of Taxonomy 881, pp. 1-334 : 34-39

2. Begonia pedemontana Moonlight sp. nov.

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77323285-1

Figs 6D , 13B , 15

Begonia microcarpa var. acuta L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub., Caldasia 4 (17): 83 ( Smith & Schubert 1946b).

– Type: COLOMBIA – Huila Department • Cordillera Oriental, west slope below Gabinete in the valley of the Abra de San Andrés ; [1°54′ N, 76°54′ W]; 1900–2100 m.a.s.l; 24 Mar. 1940; J. Cuatrecasas 8606; holotype: US [ US00115393 ]; isotype: F [ V0052633F ]. Syn. nov.

Smith & Wasshausen (1986: 53).

Begonia microcarpa var. villosa L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub., Caldasia 4 (17): 83 ( Smith & Schubert 1946b) .

– Type: COLOMBIA – Valle Department • Comisaría del Caquetá . Cordillera Oriental, vertiente orielta . Surcre, orillas del río Hacha ; [1°49′ N, 76°32′ W]; 1000 m a.s.l.; 3–7 Apr. 1940; J. Cuatrecasas 9170; holotype: US [ US00115394 ]; isotype: COL [ COL000003005 ]. Syn. nov.

Smith & Wasshausen (1986: 53).

Diagnosis

Most similar to B. microcarpa but differing in its leaves with fewer veins from the base (6–8 vs 8–10); its much fewer branched inflorescences (branching up to 4 times vs 5–6 times); its larger staminate (8–18 mm across vs 6–10 mm across) and pistillate flowers (8–22 mm across vs 4–6 mm across); and its larger ovaries (5–8 × 4 mm vs 2–3 × 2 mm).

Etymology

The epithet derives from the Latin ‘ pedum montanum ’ meaning ‘foothills’ and refers to the species’ distribution along the lower slopes of the Andean Cordillera from Peru to Colombia.

Type

PERU – San Martín Region: Prov. Rioja • Road from Amazonas to Rioja , km 393; 5°40′11″ S, 77°51′24″ W; 1335 m a.s.l.; 2 Feb. 2016; P. W. Moonlight & A. Daza 159; holotype: MOL; isotype: E .

Other specimens examined

COLOMBIA – Dept. Quindio • Herveo, desvío carretera principal a Herveo; 5°05′10.3″ N, 75°13′06.8″ W; 2092 m a.s.l.; 3 Jan. 2013; G. Morales, C. Ordoñez & J. Valencia 3473; JBB • Municipio Calarcá, Corregimiento quebrada negra , vda. vista hermosa, finca la floresta; [4°31′ N, 75°36′ W]; 1650–2150 m a.s.l.; 2 Mar. 1991; C.A. Agudelo, L.F. Hoyos, A.L. López & V.M. Agudelo 929; COL [ COL000138561 ]. – Dept. Valle del Cauca • Municipio El Cairo, reserva Cerro El Inglés , cerca de 1 km al occidente del centro de visitantes; 4°45′23.7–38.3″ N, 76°17′33–17′15.3″ W; 2217–2328 m a.s.l.; 21 Oct. 2013; A. Jara & F. Ávila 2387; ANDES. – Dept. Valle • Cali-Buenaventura Hwy, km 28 from Cali, “ El Refugio ”, property of Eduardo Calderón; 3°28′ N, 76°38′ W; 900 m a.s.l.; 12 Feb. 1990; T.B. Croat & J. Watt 70471; MO [ MO-1642394 ] • Municipio Cali, km 18 de la carretera Cali-Buenaventura, km 4 a Dapa, corregimiento de la Elvira ; 3°30′ N, 76°34′ W; 1900 m a.s.l.; 24 Jan. 1994; J. Giraldo- Gensini 144; MO [ MO-097752 ] • El Silencio , Yanaconas ; 1900–2200 m a.s.l.; [3°25′ N, 76°36′ W]; 28 Feb. 1939; E.P. Killip & H. Garcia 33768; BM, COL [ COL000138091 ], GH, US • El Silencio , Hacienda Himalaya , Cordillera Occidental W of Yumbo; 3°38′ N, 76°33′ W; 1850–1900 m a.s.l.; 3 Feb. 1989; A.H. Gentry, R. Ruiz, S. Sarria & C. Galvis 65443; MO [ MO-1429730 ] • Argelia Municipality, Vereda Las Brisas , Finca San Jorge ; 1850–1960 m a.s.l.; 22 Jan. 1983; S. Díaz-Piedrahita 3855; COL [ COL000138627 ], MO [ MO-097793 ] • Mountains above Cali ; [3°29′ S, 75°36′ W]; 1676 m.a.s.l; 8 Aug. 1968; F.A. Barkley 38C628; COL [ COL000138578 ]. – Dept. Caquetá • Municipio Florencia, Alto Gabinete, vía antigua Florencia-Neiva , vereda Tarqui ; 1°52′08.6″ N, 75°40′19.8″ W; 1571 m a.s.l.; 29 Feb. 2016; N. Marin, E. Paki, D. Daza & C. Ossa 2438; COAH • Comisaría de Caquetá, east slope of Cordillera Oriental on road between Garzón and Florencia; [1°43′ N, 75°42′ W]; 1200 m a.s.l.; 21 Feb. 1949; H.L. Mason 13938; COL [ COL000138090 ] • Municipio Belén de los Andaquíes, parque municipio natural Belén de los Andaquíes , camino Andaki ; 1°41′16.3–28″ N, 75°54′07.9–22.7″ W; 1414–1460 m a.s.l.; 25 Jan. 2017; J. Betancur, D. Cárdenas, N. Castãno-A., A. Barona, N. Marín, E. Paky, J. Navarro, O. Cerquera, A. Valencia, M. Rojas, B. Rojas, D.J. Jaimes, L.C. Luna, H. Muñoz & D. Osorio 20306; COAH • Municipio Belén de los Andaquíes, camino Adanquí vía que comunica el municipio de Acevedo con Belén, quebrada el Quebradón ; 1°41′26.4″ S, 75°54′23.7″ W; 1300 m a.s.l.; 9 Mar. 2016; D. Cárdenas, N. Castaño, D. Daly, N. Marin, E. Paki, A. Castillo, E. Gutiérrez & O. Gascar 45805; COAH • Municipio Belén de los Andaquíes, camino entre Acevedo–Belén , camino Adanquí , zona de cerro Aguacate ; 1°39′22″ N, 75°54′24″ W; 1100–1550 m a.s.l.; 24 Jul. 2011; D. Cárdenas, N. Castaño, X. Cornejo, N.R. Salinas, E. Gonzáles & E. Paki 41885; COAH • Municipio Belén de los Andaquíes, parque municipio natural Belén de los Andaquíes , sector La Mina , quebrada la Esmerelda ; 1°38′05.1″ N, 75°54′21.4″ W; 790 m a.s.l.; 3 Feb. 2017; N. Castaño, D. Cárdenas, J. Betancur, A. Barona, N. Marin, E. Paky, J. Navarro, O. Cerquera, A. Valencia, M. Rojas, B. Rojas, D.J. Jaimes, L.C. Luna, H. Muñoz & D. Osorio 9423; COAH • Municipio Florencia, corregimiento Santo Domingo, vereda Villa Hermosa ; 1°36′52″ N, 75°42′31.5″ W; 900 m a.s.l.; 2 May 2011; N. Castaño, J.S. Barreto, M. Rodriguez, W. Trujillo-C., Y. Torres, N. Marin & E. Fiagama 3223; COAH • Municipio Belén de los Andaquíes, corredor resguardo La Cernida , PNN Alto Fragua Indiguazi , etnia Emberia Katio ; 1°36′08.6″ N, 75°51′49.1″ W; 680 m a.s.l.; 4 Oct. 2007; W. Trujillo-C.A. Tascón, R. Alope Ch. WT962; COAH. – Dept. Huila • Municipio Acevedo, Corregimiento de San Adolfo , vereda La Ilusión , corredor biológico Guacharos-Purace ; 1°38′59.8″ N, 76°00′44.9″ W; 1390 m a.s.l.; ND. Jiménez-Escobar & A. Avella-M. 1972; COL.

ECUADOR – Prov. Napo • Parque Nacional Podocarpus , by waterfall right before Bombuscara administration; 4°07′ S, 78°58′ W; 1060 m a.s.l.; 1 Jul.–15 Dec. 1998; M. Bjerrum 12; AAU • Archidona Canton, Parque Nacional Sumaco Napo-Galeras ; 0°50′09″ S, 77°31′58″ W; 1690 m a.s.l.; 5 Apr. 2003; D. Cumacás 131; QCNE. – Prov. Morona - Santiago • Cumandá 6 km W of Mera; [1°27′03″ S, 78°09′14″ W]; ca 1000 m a.s.l.; 14 Mar. 1980; G. Harling & L. Andersson 17278; GB. – Prov. Zamora - Chinchipe • Parque Nacional Podocarpus , entrada por el sector del río Bombuscaro. Collecciones a lo largo del sendero Urraquita Verde y sendero los Higuerónes; 4°06′55.2″ S, 78°58′02.6″ W; 1000 m a.s.l.; 20 Mar. 2015; N. Zapata, W. Santillán & H. Namcela 35; QCA • Along road from Zamora to Romerillos along río Jambué , 13.3 km E of río Bombuscaro Bridge in Zamora, 0.3 km E of Pituca; 4°08′04″ S, 78°56′37″ W; 1068 m a.s.l.; T. B. Croat 91762; MO [ MO-2022839 ], QCNE • Nangaritza Canton, Región de la Cordillera del Cóndor , cuenca del alto río Nangaritza , las Orquídeas ; 4°13′15″ S, 78°40′54″ W; 1100 m a.s.l.; W. Quizhpe & F. Luisier 1924; MO [ MO-2135429 ], QCNE.

PERU – San Martín Region: Prov. Rioja • road from Amazonas to Rioja, km 393 ; 5°40′11″ S, 77°51′23″ W; 1297 m a.s.l.; 4 Jul. 2018; P.W. Moonlight 1262; E, USM.

Description

Caulescent herb, to 30 cm high. Stem trailing to erect, to 50 cm high, branching; internodes to 6.5 cm long, to 3 mm thick, wiry, pale green to red, villous to tomentose. Stipules persistent, triangular, 5–16 × 1–5 mm, apex acute to attenuate, translucent, pale green, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate. Leaves> 5, alternate, basifixed; petiole 3–12 cm long, red, tomentose; blade asymmetrical, ovate, to 13.5 × 10.5 cm, succulent, apex short-acuminate, base obliquely cordate, basal lobes not or slightly overlapping to overlapping, sinus to 25 mm deep, margin entire to undulate or rarely denticulate, occasionally with 1–3 cusps on the largest side of the lamina (never in Peru), aciliate, upper surface mid-green, glabrous, lower surface pale green, tomentose on the veins, glabrous on the lamina, veins palmate-pinnate, 6–8 veined from the base, with 2–4 secondary veins on the larger side, 1–3 secondary veins on the smaller side. Inflorescences 1–3 per stem, bisexual, axillary, erect, cymose, with 2–4 branches, bearing up to 8 staminate flowers and 8 pistillate flowers, protandrous; peduncle to 12 cm long, glabrous to tomentose, bracts deciduous, ovate, ca 5–12 × 2–5 mm, translucent, white to pale green, glabrous, apex acute, margin entire, aciliate. Staminate flowers: pedicels to 17 mm long, tomentose; tepals 4, spreading, outer 2 oblanceolate to ovate, 4–9 × 4–7 mm, apex acute, white, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate, inner 2 elliptic, 4–9 × 2–4 mm, apex acute, white, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; stamens ca 20–30, spreading, yellow, filaments 1–2 mm long, fused at the base, anthers obovoid, ca 0.4 × 0.3 mm long, dehiscing via lateral slits, connectives extending <0.1 mm, symmetrically basifixed. Pistillate flowers: pedicels to 10 mm long; bracteoles 2, directly beneath the ovary, ovate, ca 4 × 4 mm, apex obtuse, translucent, white, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; tepals 5, subequal, deciduous in fruit, spreading, lanceolate, 4–11 × 2–3 mm, apex rounded, white, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; ovary body ovoid, 5–8 × 4 mm, pale green, glabrous, sub-equally 3-winged, the largest oblong to triangular 6–11 × 5–6 mm, smallest oblong 5–11 × 3–5 mm; 3-locular, placentae branches simple or divided, bearing ovules on both surfaces; styles 3, yellow, fused at the base, 2–3 mm long, reniform, stigmatic papillae in a spirally-twisted band. Fruiting pedicel to 20 mm long. Fruit body narrowly ovoid to ovoid, to 10 × 8 mm, drying pale brown, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest expanding to 13 × 10 mm, the smallest expanding to 12 × 8 mm.

Proposed conservation assessment

Known only from one population in Peru (ca 500 individuals) but widespread and locally common across its Ecuadorian and Colombian range. Its EOO is almost 200 000 km 2, which includes significant areas of primary forest and several protected areas. We assess B. pedemontana sp. nov. as Least Concern (LC).

Notes

The placentation of B. pedemontana sp. nov. varies from simple to divided. Dissections of ovaries made in the field as part of the collection P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 159 show divided placentae, but plants grown in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh from seeds of this collection showed entire ovaries ( Fig. 15Q ).

Synonymy notes

Since the collection of the type specimen of B. microcarpa , no specimens have been collected that match it. It was collected in September 1857 by Richard E. Spruce, most likely in the vicinity of Baños in Tungurahua Province, Ecuador, where he was based at this time ( Richard Spruce Project 2005). It is unique among B. sect. Apteron in its combination of 10–12 veins from the base of its leaves (vs 5–10 veins); its inflorescences branching 5–6 times (vs 1–4 times).

Since the description of B. microcarpa , several specimens from Ecuador and Colombia have been collected that differ from the type in their larger staminate and pistillate tepals, their fewer branching inflorescences, and shorter stem internodes. They also differ from the other species in B. sect. Apteron, B. pastoensis and B. exalata in their indumentum (glabrous to villous vs densely hispid). Smith & Schubert (1946b) described B. microcarpa vars. acuta and villosa to accommodate these specimens, with the two varieties differing in relatively minor characters. We however consider their differences from B. microcarpa var. microcarpa sufficient to warrant species level recognition. We chose to create a new species rather than elevating B. microcarpa var. acuta to the species level because this variety was named for its acute stipules, which are common within the genus. We were unable to elevate B. microcarpa var. villosa to species level due to the earlier name B. villosa Lindl. We also note that a duplicate of the type specimen of B. microcarpa var. acuta held in COL (COL000003004) is not the same species as the other duplicates cited herein. This duplicate is in fact a specimen of distantly related B. cymbalifera L.B.Sm. & B.G.Shub.

Identification notes

Begonia pedemontana sp. nov. is most similar to B. microcarpa (see Diagnosis). Within Peru, B. pedemontana sp. nov. is unlikely to be confused with any other species even when sterile. It is one of only a few species that roots at the nodes, has a semi-scandent habit, and has basifixed leaves. It is most similar to B. pastoensis var. pastoensis but can be easily distinguished by its tomentose indumentum (vs villous). It is also a much smaller plant (e.g., the leaves are rarely larger than 8 × 5 cm vs up to 15 × 10 cm) and has uniformly pale green leaves (vs dark green leaves flushed black, flushed purple beneath). Furthermore, the staminate and pistillate flowers of B. pedemontana sp. nov. are much smaller (up to 14 and 22 mm across, vs up to 38 and 28 mm across, respectively). Begonia pedemontana sp. nov. could potentially be confused with a young individual of B. glabra , but this species is symmetrically 3-veined from the leaf base whereas B. pedemontana sp. nov. has at least 6 asymmetric veins from the leaf base.

Distribution and ecology

Known from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Within Peru, known from a single population in San Martín Region ( Fig. 13B ) and found in lower montane Forest at an elevation of ca 1300 m a.s.l. In Colombia and Ecuador, the species has been collected from 680–2150 m a.s.l. In Ecuador, it is found exclusively on the eastern flank of the Andes but in Colombia it is found on both flanks of the Western Cordillera. The type locality of B. pedemontana sp. nov. is a limestone outcrop and the species is found on limerich soils at the base of this outcrop; however, the species is most frequently described as growing on the base of tree trunks.

Figures

Fig. 6. Styles and stigmas in Peruvian Begonia. A–C. Bifid styles. D. Reniform styles. E–F. Irregularly multifid styles. A. Three styles and stigmas of B. bracteosa A.DC. B. Three styles and stigmas of B. glabra Aubl. C. Single style and stigma of B. yuracyacuensis Moonlight sp. nov. D. Three styles and stigmas of B. pedemontana Moonlight sp. nov. E. Three styles and stigmas of B. obtecticaulis Irmsch. F. Single styles and stigma of B. pleiopetala A.DC. Photographs taken by D.A. Purvis & P.W. Moonlight in the living collections of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Fig. 13. Distribution of Begonia sect. Apteron C.DC. in Peru and surrounding countries.A. B. pastoensis var. pastoensis (red). B. B. pedemontana Moonlight sp. nov. (red). Black lines indicate country borders, grey lines indicate major administrative divisions, blue lines indicate rivers, and shading indicates elevation.

Fig. 15. Begonia pedemontana Moonlight sp. nov. A. Habit. B. Leaf, adaxial surface. C. Leaf, abaxial surface. D. Stipule, adaxial surface. E. Stipule, abaxial surface. F. Bract, adaxial surface. G. Staminate flower, side view. H. Staminate flower, front view. I. Largest petal of the staminate flower. J. Smallest tepal of the staminate flower. K. Androecium, side view. L. Pistillate flower, side view. M. Pistillate flower, front view. N. Largest tepal of the pistillate flower. O. Smallest tepal of the pistillate flower. P. Gynoecium, side view. Q. Cross section of the ovary. All photographs taken by D.A. Purvis in the living collections of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (Accession 20180927, grown from seeds collected as part of P.W. Moonlight 1262).