Begonia glandulifera Griseb., 1864

Moonlight, P. W. & Jara-Muñoz, A., 2017, A revision and recircumscription of Begonia Section Pilderia including one new species, Phytotaxa 307 (1), pp. 1-22 : 10

2. Begonia glandulifera Griseb. ( Fig. 3 , Fig. 7b )

Fl. Brit. W. I.: 304(1860).Type:TRINIDADAND TOBAGO.Trinidad,moist rocks and ravines, D.Lockhart 324 (lectotype (here designated) K [ K000536591 ]; isolectotype: K [ K000536592 ]; K) ; Trinidad, 29 January 1848, H. Crueger (syntype K [ K000536590 ]) .

Plants caulescent, rhizomatous herbs, 30–100 cm high; stem repent to erect, rooting at the nodes, flexuous, unbranched to branching; internodes to 2 cm long and rhizomatous at the base of the stem, woody, to 1 cm thick, to 10cm long and erect or trailing towards the apex, to 0.5 cm thick, succulent, pale green-yellow, sparsely villous, hair white; stipules persistent, ovate, 8–12 × 4–6 mm, apex acute, margins entire, aciliate. Leaves alternate, spread along the stem, more than 5, basifixed; petioles 8–25 cm long, sparsely to densely villous towards the apex, hair ca. 0.75 mm long, white; lamina asymmetric, transverse, ovate to broadly ovate, (8–)10–34 × (5–) 8–17 cm, even, apex abruptly acuminate, base cordate, lobes not overlapping to overlapping, sinus to 2.5 cm deep, acuspidate or with up to three cusps to 1 × 0.5 cm on the broadest side of the blade, margins entire to dentate, teeth 0.2–0.5 mm long, densely ciliate, the upper surface even, green, sparsely to moderately-densely glandular-pilose between the tertiary veins, the veins glabrous to moderately-densely glandular-pilose towards the petiolar insertion, the lower surface even, green, sparsely glandular-pilose between the tertiary veins, the veins sparsely glandular-pilose to densely glandular-pilose towards the petiolar insertion; venation palmate-pinnate, with 7–9 veins from the base, with 8–9 lateral veins on the widest side of the lamina, and 4 lateral veins on the narrow side. Inflorescences: axillary, terminal, erect, to 65 cm, glabrous to densely glandular-villous at the apex, thyrsoid with 5–10 lateral branches, basal-most lateral branch thyrsoid with ca. 5 lateral branches, lateral branches cymose, branching 2 to 4 times, protandrous; peduncle to 15 cm long, internodes to 15 cm long, decreasing to ca. 5 mm long at the apex, peduncles of cymes to 2 cm, decreasing to 5 mm at the apex of the inflorescence, secondary to quaternary branches to 2 cm, decreasing to 5mm at the apex of the inflorescence; bracts deciduous, bracts of thyrsoid lateral branches like the leaves, the remainder lanceolate to broadly ovate, 2–5 × 1–4 mm, membranous, apex acute to obtuse, glabrous to densely pubescent, margin entire, aciliate; pedicels of male flowers 4–8 mm long, fibrous; pedicels of female flowers 4–8 mm long, fibrous. Male flowers: tepals 4, membranous, pilose outside, glabrous inside, margins entire, aciliate, the outer ovate, 4–6 × 3–4 mm, apex rounded, white to roseate, the inner lanceolate, 4–5 × 1.5–2 mm, apex acute, white to roseatte; stamens ca. 8, united along the length of a ca. 1 mm long column, yellow; filaments <0.5 mm, anthers broadly-oblong, 0.4 × 0.6 mm, obtuse, dehiscing through lateral slits, the connective not projecting. Female flowers: bracteoles 2, deciduous, like the bracts; tepals 5, tardily deciduous in fruit, subequal, ovate, 5–7 × 3–5, pilose outside, glabrous inside, margins entire, aciliate, same colour as males; ovary body globose, 4 × 4 mm, sparsely-pilose, white, 3-locular, unequally 3-winged, wings sparsely pilose, white, largest wing oblanceolate, ascending, widest 2/3 of the length towards the apex, 4–5 × 5–9 mm, apex acute, base cordate to rounded, margins entire, smallest 2 triangular, 4–5 × 2–3 mm, not ascending, apex obtuse, base rounded; placentae axile, bilamellate, ovuliferous all over; styles 3, ca. 2 mm long, bifid 1 mm from base, the branches erect, spirally twisted two times, yellow, tardily-deciduous in fruit. Fruiting pedicel elongating to 15 mm long, fibrous. Fruit ellipsoid, to enlarging to 5 × 8 mm, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest enlarging to 12 × 20 mm, the smallest enlarging to 10 × 8 mm. Seeds globose, 0.2 × 0.2 mm.

Distribution and habitat:— Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela. Begonia glandulifera is known both from the Northern Range Mountains of Trinidad and the Serranía del Litoral mountains of the Peninsular de Paria in the Venezuelan state of Sucre.

Taxonomic notes:— B. glandulifera is most similar to B. jenmanii , although their ranges do not overlap. B. glandulifera can be distinguished through its branching habit ( B. jenmanii has a non-branching habit) and its inflorescence, which is densely villous towards the apex (That of B. jenmanii is glabrous throughout).

IUCN Redlist Assessment:— Begonia glandulifera is locally common throughout its range within Trinidad and is likely abundant within its less well-collected Venezuelan range. Parts of its Venezuelan range fall within the Parque Nacional Peninsula de Paría and parts of its Trinidad range falls within protected areas. Although the species has an EOO of> 1500 km 2 and an AOO of ca. 35 km 2, no information is available about population trends within this species. We assess B. glandulifera as Least Concern (LC).

Additional specimens examined:— TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Trinidad : without further locality, 1877–1880 A. Fendler 385 ( BM, K) ; Side of cliff near waterfall, Blue Basin , alt. 300ft., 31 May 1924, L. A. M. Riley 218 ( MO, K [2 dups]) ; Forest road to Mount Tucuche , on banks, 1 iii 1927, W. E. Broadway 7273 ( BM) ; El Tucuche , in primary forest, 22 April 1975, D. Philcox & D. Andrews 7714 ( K [2 dups], P [ P05494615 ]) ; El Tucuche, env. 7 miles N de St Joseph, versant SE. Belle Forêt humide submontagnarde sur fortes pentes rocheuses, 16 June 1975, R. A. Raynal 15727 ( K ex P, P [ P95494617 ]) ; Maracas road to the bay, 13 iii 1927, W. E. Broadway 7384 ( BM) ; Maracas road to the bay mouth, near the top at “Geteau”, 26 vi 1929, W. E. Broadway s.n. ( BM) ; Maracas , on the face of the falls, and around about the bottom parts, W. E. Broadway 6017 ( BM, K, MO) ; Maracas, on cliffs of the falls in perpetual moisture, W. E. Broadway 5561 ( MO), St. George , Northern Range , Blanchisseuse Road , 10˚42’ N, 61˚17’ W, alt. 348m, 28 March 2003, M. F. Gardner & S. G. Knees 6606 ( E [ E00131849 ]) ; St. George, Northern Range, Blanchisseuse Road , 10˚40’ N, 61˚18’ W, alt. 348m, 28 March 2003, M. F. Gardner & S. G. Knees 6609 ( E [ E00131860 ]) ; Blanchisseuse Road N. of Arima, alt. 2000m, 9–23 ii 1950, R. A. Howard 10379 ( BM) ; Milepost 6.25 Arima to Blanchisseuse road, under rock face, D. Philcox & V. Stoelzel 8397 ( K, P [ P05494616 ]) ; Arima Blanchisseuse Road , 7 mile P., 7 March 1964, M. Bhorai B.837 ( K) ; Blanchisseuse road, near 10.5 mile post, on banks, 29 January 1926, W. E. Broadway 5919 ( BM [2 dups], K) ; In gully, leading from Milepost 13, Arima-Blanchisseuse Road , 1 April 1975, D. Philcox & D. Andrews 8328 ( K) ; Blanchisseuse road past the junction with the Las Lapas road, on a bank, 26 February 1926, W. E. Broadway 6278 ( BM, K [2 dups], MO) ; Crest of Northern Range between Arima-Blanchisseuse Road and Morne Bleu , alt. 600–750m, 8 March 1956, A. C. Smith 10046 ( K, NY) ; Las Lapas road (branch of Blanchisseuse road), on banks, 5 February 1926, W. E. Broadway 5927 ( BM, K) . VENEZUELA: Estado Sucre, Peninsula de Parai, Cerro de Humo , laderas de bosque húmedo nublado que miran al sur, entre la Laguna y Roma , noroeste de Irapa , alt. 800–1000m, 5 March 1966, J. A. Steyermark 95049 ( K) ; Estado Sucre, Distrito Cagigal: Peninsula de Parai : trail from El Paujil to 20ummit of the mountain, south-facing slopes, trail leading to El Brasil , 10˚38–39’ N, 62˚43’ W, alt. 700–750m, J. A. Steyermark et al. 121442 ( MO) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Begonia glandulifera Griseb. A. Habit; B. Branch of inflorescence (scale bar A–B: 10cm); C. Leaf, upperside; D. Leaf, underside (scale bar C–D: 5cm); E. Male flower, front view; F. Male flower, side view; G. Female flower, side view; H. Female flower, back view; I. Female flower, front view (scale bar E–I: 1cm); Photographs taken at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh by Peter W. Moonlight (Accession Number: 20030500, Collected in Trinidad & Tobago, Gardner & Knees 6011).

FIGURE 7. Distributions of species in Begonia sect. Pilderia (Klotzsch) A.DC. A. B. buddleiifolia A.DC.; B. B. glandulifera Griseb.; C. B. humillima L.B.Sm. & Wassh.; D. B. jenmanii Tutin; E. B. mariannensis Wassh. & T.McClellan; F.B. tepuiensis Moonlight & Jara.