Begonia veitchii var. machupicchuensis Tebbitt

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 : 48-50

5.2 Begonia veitchii var. machupicchuensis Tebbitt

Fig. 17B

Edinburgh Journal of Botany 77 (1): 141 ( Tebbitt et al. 2020).

– Type: PERU – Cusco Region: Prov. La Convención • Dist. Santa Teresa , road from Santa Teresa, overlooking hydroelectric station; 13°08′ S, 72°35′ W; 1615 m a.s.l.; 7 Jan. 2015; M.C. Tebbitt 802; holotype: MOL; isotype: E.

Tebbitt (2020: 135).

Begonia cinnabarina auct. non Hook. in Brako & Zarucchi (1993: 191).

Begonia clarkei auct. non Hook.f. in Brako & Zarucchi (1993: 191).

Etymology

This variety has most frequently been collected at the ruined Incan city Machu Picchu and is endemic to the surrounding area. It is named for this locality.

Specimens examined

PERU – Cusco Region: Prov. La Convención • Dist. Echarate , roadside from 3–4 km south of Palma Real to Kiteni; 12°36′ S, 72°42′ W; 710 m a.s.l.; 6 Jan. 2015; M.C. Tebbitt & A. Daza 800ª; E • Dist. Santa Teresa, road from Santa Maria to Santa Teresa , ca 4–5 km from Santa Maria; 13°04′ S, 72°37′ W; 1445 m a.s.l.; 6 Jan. 2015; M.C. Tebbitt & A. Daza 801; E [ E01059310 ], MOL. – Prov. Urubamba • Dist. Machu Picchu , alrededores de Machu Picchu; [13°10′ S, 72°32′ W]; ca 2600 m a.s.l.; 17 Sep. 1939; H.G. Barclay 9276; MO [ MO-2601961 ] • ibid.; 2400 m a.s.l.; 18 Nov. 1947; R. Ferreyra 2679; MO [ MO-2218583 ], US [2: US00222335 , US00222336 ], USM • ibid.; 1980 m a.s.l.; 12 Nov. 1957; D. Stafford 1065; BM, K • ibid.; 2200 m a.s.l.; Oct. 1931; F.L. Herrera 3275; US [ US00222040 ] • ibid.; 2300 m a.s.l.; 6 Nov. 1984; Exp. Client Univ. Varsovia 7; USM • ibid.; 2133 m a.s.l.; Dec. 1942; C. Sandeman 3626; K, OXF • ibid.; 2300 m a.s.l.; 24 Sep. 1936; J. West 8025; MO [ MO-1642900 ] • ibid.; Pampacahua; 13°07′ S, 72°16′ W; 2465 m a.s.l.; L. Valenzuela, E. Suclli, J. Farfán, V. Chama & N. Anaya 4778; MO [ MO-1663834 ] • ibid.; entre Winayhuayna e Intipunco; 13°09′ S, 72°31′ W; 2900 m a.s.l.; 26 Oct. 1987; P. Núñez V. 8411; MO [ MO-2228043 ] • Dist. Machu Picchu, puente Carrilluhuayoc ; 13°09′06″ S, 72°34′43″ W; 1980 m a.s.l.; 19 Jan. 2008; J. Farfán & V. Chama 1946; MO [ MO-2227420 ].

Description

Acaulescent or caulescent, tuberous herb, to 35 cm high. Tuber spheroid to ellipsoid, sometimes branching, 3–6 × 1–4 cm, with 1–3 growing points. Stem erect, rarely branching; internodes to 3.5 cm long, to 5 mm thick, succulent, green flushed red, sparsely pubescent. Stipules persistent, triangular, 15–20 × 4–6 mm, apex acute, opaque, brown flushed red, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, margin entire, aciliate. Leaves 3–5, alternate, basifixed; petiole 8–12 cm long, green flushed red, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; blade asymmetrical, transversely ovate, to 19 × 14.5 cm, succulent, apex indistinct to obtuse, base cordate, basal lobes overlapping, sinus to 50 mm deep, margin crenate to dentate, ciliate, upper surface green, glabrous to sparsely pilose at the edge of the lamina, lower surface pale green, sparsely woolly, veins palmate, 6–8 veined from the base. Inflorescences 1–3, bisexual, axillary, erect, a dichasial or monochasial cyme, with 2 branches, bearing up to 4 staminate flowers and 2 pistillate flowers, protandrous; peduncle to 36 cm long, bright red, glabrous, bracts deciduous, obovate, ca 13 × 7 mm, translucent, white flushed scarlet to scarlet, glabrous, apex rounded, margin entire, aciliate. Staminate flowers: pedicels to 8 mm long, glabrous; tepals 4, projecting, outer 2 narrowly ovate to ovate, 12–27 × 10–18 mm, apex rounded to obtuse, scarlet, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate, inner 2 obovate, 12–31 × 8–20 mm, apex obtuse, scarlet, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; stamens 70–80, spreading, yellow, filaments 2–4 mm long, irregularly fused at the base, anthers obovoid, ca 1 × 0.5 mm, dehiscing via lateral slits, connectives not extended, symmetrically basifixed. Pistillate flowers: pedicels to 18 mm long; bracteoles absent or 1, 1 mm below the ovary, elliptic, ca 1 × 0.5 mm, apex obtuse, opaque, red, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; tepals 5, subequal, deciduous in fruit, projecting, elliptic to broadly obovate, 11–30 × 4–32 mm, apex rounded, scarlet, glabrous to densely pubescent, margin entire, aciliate; ovary body ovoid, 4–13 × 5–12 mm, green flushed red, glabrous to densely pubescent, unequally 3-winged, wings triangular, largest 7–15 × 4–12 mm, smallest triangular 6–14 × 4–9 mm wide; 3-locular, branches divided, bearing ovules on both surfaces; styles 3, yellow, free, ca 5 mm long, once-divided, stigmatic papillae in a spirally twisted band. Fruiting pedicel to 56 mm long. Fruit body obovoid, to 10 × 11 mm, drying brown, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest expanding to 14 × 15 mm, the smallest expanding to 13 × 10 mm.

Proposed conservation assessment

Known from a small area surrounding and partially protected by the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. Its EOO is 44 km 2, but it is well collected and frequently observed (e.g., 48 observations on iNaturalist, October 2020). This reflects how well visited Machu Picchu is, not the rarity of the variety, which is vulnerable because it is known only from one locality. We assess B. veitchii var. machupicchuensis as Vulnerable ( VU D2).

Notes

The duplicate M. C. Tebbitt & A. Daza 800ª arrived in E herbarium as part of a collection of B. urubambensis . The locality described here is not suitable for B. veitchii var. machupichuensis and this is most likely the result of a label mix-up.

Identification notes

Recognised as one of only two tuberous Peruvian taxa with red, projecting tepals. The other is B. polypetala A.DC. , which has acute apices to its tepals (vs rounded to obtuse) and> 5 tepals on its staminate flowers (vs 5).

Distribution and ecology

Endemic to Peru and Cusco Region ( Fig. 17B ). Known from middle and upper montane forest at an elevation of 1980–2900 m a.s.l. The vivid red flowers of B. veitchii var. machupicchuensis and its projecting tepals suggest this variety is adapted for hummingbird pollination but no pollination records are known.

Figures

Fig. 17. Distribution of Begonia sect. Australes L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. in Peru and surrounding countries. A. B. herrerae L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. (red) and B. heliantha Tebbitt (blue). B. B. veitchii Hook.f. var. veitchii (red) and B. veitchii var. machupicchuensis Tebbitt (red). Black lines indicate country borders, grey lines indicate major administrative divisions, blue lines indicate rivers, and shading indicates elevation.