Begonia cyathophora Poepp. & Endl.

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 : 78-81

11. Begonia cyathophora Poepp. & Endl.

Figs 24C , 28

Nova Genera ac Species Plantarum 1: 7 ( Poeppig & Endlicher 1835).

– Type: PERU – [Huánuco Region: Prov. Huánuco] • Andium ad Cuchero ; [9°30′ S, 75°56′ W]; Jul. 1829; E.F. Poeppig s.n.; lectotype: W [ W0047372 , F neg. 20861], designated here • “in Peruviae nemoribus” , H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón s.n.; epitype: B [ B100242144 ], designated here. – [Huánuco Region: Prov. Huánuco ] • Cuchero ; [9°30′ S, 75°56′ W]; 1830; E.F. Poeppig 1062; syntype: W [ W0047373 ] • ibid.; 1829; E.F. Poeppig 1062; syntype: W [ W18890111344 ] • ibid.; 1830; E.F. Poeppig 1063; syntype: W [2: W0047374 , W0047375 ] .

de Candolle (1864: 333); Smith & Schubert (1941a: 186); Irmscher (1949: 603); Brako & Zarucchi (1993: 191).

Cyathocnemis obliqua Klotzsch (nom. illeg.; nom. superfl.), Gattungen und Arten 1854: 247 ( Klotzsch 1855).

– Type : PERU • “in Peruviae nemoribus” , H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón s.n.; lectotype: B [ B100242144 ], designated here. – [Huánuco Region: Prov. Huánuco] • Andium ad Cuchero ; [9°30′ S, 75°56′ W]; Jul. 1829; E.F. Poeppig s.n.; syntype: W [ W0047372 , F neg. 20861]. – [Huánuco Region: Prov. Huánuco] • Cuchero ; [9°30′ S, 75°56′ W]; 1830; E.F. Poeppig 1062; syntype: W [ W0047373 ] • ibid.; 1829; E.F. Poeppig 1062; syntype: W [ W18890111344 ] • ibid.; 1830; E.F. Poeppig 1063; syntypes: W [2: W0047374 , W0047375 ] .

Walpers (1858: 919); de Candolle (1864: 333).

Begonia obliqua Ruiz ex Klotzsch (nom. inval.; nom. rej. pro syn. Cyathocnemis obliqua Klotzsch (nom. illeg.; nom. superfl.)), Gattungen und Arten 1854: 247 ( Klotzsch 1855).

Etymology

The name derives from the Latin ‘ cyathium ’ and ‘ phora ’ meaning ‘cyathium bearing’. This refers to the distinctive fused pair of bracts that surround the first inflorescence node.

Specimens examined

PERU • H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón 167; G • ibid.; H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón 152; G, mounted on the same sheet as H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón 320 • ibid.; H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón 320; G, mounted on the same sheet as H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón 152 • ibid.; H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón s.n.; G-BOIS • ibid.; H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón s.n.; G-BOIS • ibid.; H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón s.n.; MA • ibid.; H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón s.n.; OXF [mixed collection] • ibid.; H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón s.n.; G-DC ex G-BOIS • ibid.; H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón s.n.; US [ US00222066 ] • ibid.; R. Pearce 180; K [ K000374269 ]. – Huánuco Region: Prov. Huánuco • Camino a río Monzón cerca a Tingo María ; [9°19′ S, 76°01′ W]; 700 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 1953; R. Ferreyra 9304; US [ US00222056 ], USM • Huacachi , estación near Muña; [9°40′ S, 75°49′ W]; 23 May 1923; J.F. MacBride 3877; B, F.

Description

Caulescent herb, to at least 50 cm high. Stem erect, rarely branching; internodes to 6 cm long, to 7 mm thick, succulent, colour unknown, glabrous. Stipules deciduous, broadly obovate, 22–25 × 15–30 mm, apex rounded, opaque, colour unknown, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate. Leaves> 3 per stem, alternate, basifixed; petiole 3–9 cm long unknown, colour unknown, glabrous; blade asymmetric, transversely ovate, to 13.5 × 9.5 cm, succulent, apex short-acuminate, base transversely cordate, basal lobes overlapping, sinus to 35 mm deep, margin crenate, aciliate, upper surface colour green, glabrous, lower surface pale green, glabrous, veins palmate but with one primary vein, 7–10 veined from the base, with 1–3 secondary veins on the larger side, 1–2 secondary veins on the smaller side. Inflorescences 1–3 per stem, bisexual, axillary, erect, cymose, with at least 2 branches but the second branch onwards reduced to appear umbellate, bearing up to 32 staminate flowers and 16 pistillate flowers, protandrous; peduncle to 18 cm long, colour unknown, indumentum glabrous, bracts persistent, the first pair of bracts fused into an obconicular cyathium, 22–24 × 18–23 mm, opaque, colour unknown, glabrous, apex truncate, margin entire, aciliate, subsequent bracts broadly ovate, 8–10 × 8–15 mm, opaque, colour unknown, apex rounded, margin entire, aciliate. Staminate flowers: pedicels to 35 mm long, glabrous; tepals 2, spreading, broadly ovate, 5–6 × 6–10 mm, apex rounded, colour unknown, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; stamens ca 25, spreading, yellow, filaments 0.5–1.5 mm long, free, anthers ellipsoid, 1.5–2 × 0.3 mm, dehiscing via lateral slits, connectives extending to 0.2 mm, symmetrically basifixed. Pistillate flowers: pedicels to 8.5 mm long; bracteoles lacking; tepals 2, equal, deciduous in fruit, broadly ovate, 4–6 × 6–7.5 mm, apex rounded, colour unknown, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; ovary body ovoid, ca 4 × 1.5–2.5 mm, colour unknown, glabrous, unequally 3-winged, wings triangular, largest ca 5.5 × 4 mm, smallest ca 3.5 × 2.5 mm; 3-locular, placentae branches divided, bearing ovules on both surfaces; styles 3, yellow, free, 2.5–4 mm long, once-divided, stigmatic papillae in a spirally twisted band. Fruiting pedicel to 21 mm long. Fruit body ovoid, to 10 × 6 mm, drying brown, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest expanding to 19 × 20 mm, the smallest expanding to 14 × 5 mm.

Proposed conservation assessment

A rarely collected species with a very restricted range, demonstrated by its EOO of <50 km 2. This species has never been collected at elevations exceeding 1000 m a.s.l. and little original forest remains below this elevation across its range. This may explain why it was frequently collected before the 1830s but only twice since and never since 1953, even though it grows in some of the best collected areas of Peru. We were unable to locate B. cyathophora during fieldwork in 2016. We assess B. cyathophora as Critically Endangered (CR B1ab(iii)+B2ab(iii)).

Typification notes

Eduard Friedrich Poeppig and Stephan Endlicher described B. cyathophora from material they collected in Cuchero in the Huánuco Region of Peru ( Poeppig & Endlicher 1835: 7). There are four sheets that match this description housed in Vienna (W) herbarium. We designate E.F. Poeppig s.n. collected in July 1829 (W0049372) as the lectotype herein because it is a superior collection and its label states it was once held in Poeppig’s personal herbarium. This specimen lacks flowers, so it is appropriate to designate an epitype that matches the Poeppig collections. This material is characterised by the extremely large and persistent stipules, which are free and paired but overlap to such an extent that they were described by Smith & Schubert (1941a) as simulating a complete cyathium. This character is also found on several specimens collected by Ruiz and Pavón. Their expedition collected extensively around Cuchero, so this material likely originated from the same population as Poeppig’s. We designate one such fertile specimen housed in Berlin (B100242144) as the epitype for B. cyathophora .

Twenty years after the publication of B. cyathophora, Klotzsch described the genus Cyathocnemis Klotzsch. The only species included was C. obliqua , and in its protologue Klotzsch cited B. cyathophora as a synonym ( Klotzsch 1855: 247). Klotzsch also cited Poeppig’s collections of B. cyathophora in his protologue of C. obliqua and for both these reasons C. obliqua is a superfluous name and a synonym of B. cyathophora . As discussed above, Poeppig’s material lacks flowers so is not an ideal lectotype. Klotzsch also cited “ Begonia obliqua Herb. Ruizii ” and specimens collected by Ruiz and Pavón. There are many Ruiz and Pavón specimens of B. cyathophora in European herbaria, but the only one we can be sure he saw is housed in Berlin (B100242144). This specimen is fertile and a good candidate for a lectotype, so we designate it as the lectotype of C. obliqua Klotzsch herein. We also designate it as the epitype of B. cyathophora (see above) so emphasises that C. obliqua is a superfluous name of B. cyathophora .

Synonymy notes

Much of Ruiz and Pavón’s material was distributed as “ Begonia obliqua del Peru ” or “ Begonia sp. nov. ” but it appears that they intended to publish this material as B. utricularia . This name is found on a specimen housed in Madrid (MA813505) and an unpublished illustration by I. Gálvez housed in Madrid (MA-AJB04-D-1396). Ruíz’s diaries clarify that the description for B. utricularia was made in Muña ( Dahlgren 1940: 212). Muña is <25 km from Cuchero, which further supports the conclusion that the material collected by Ruiz and Pavón originates from the same population as Poeppig’s type material.

Identification notes

Begonia cyathophora is most similar to B. bracteosa . It is best distinguished when with a young inflorescence, as the two bracts that surround the first inflorescence node fuse to form a characteristic obconicular cyathium. Following the second inflorescence node, subsequent internodes are reduced such that the inflorescence appears to be composed of two umbels. When sterile, B. cyathophora can also be distinguished by its aciliate leaf margins (vs ciliate) and its stipules, which are at least two thirds as broad as long and often broader than long, vs twice as long as broad in B. bracteosa .

Distribution and ecology

Endemic to the Huánuco Region of Peru where it has been collected in lower montane forests at an elevation of ca 700 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 24C ).

Figures

Fig. 24. Distribution ofBegonia sect.Cyathocnemis (Klotzsch)A.DC. in Peru and surrounding countries. A. B. amoeboides Moonlight (red) andB. imbrexiformis Moonlight sp. nov. (blue).B. B. bracteosaA.DC. (red) and B. longinqua Moonlight (blue). C. B. cyathophora Poepp. & Endl. (red), B. serratistipula Moonlight sp. nov. (blue) and C. vargasii Moonlight sp. nov. (green). D. B. lamolina Moonlight (red), B. lophoptera Rolfe (blue) and B. obtecticaulis Irmsch. (green). Black lines indicate country borders, grey lines indicate major administrative divisions, blue lines indicate rivers, and shading indicates elevation.

Fig. 28. Begonia cyathophora Poepp. & Endl., habit. a. Staminate flower, side front. b. Tepals of the staminate flower. c Androecium, side view. d. Pistillate flower, side view. e. Tepals of the pistillate flower. f. Developing fruit, side view. g. Fruit, side view. h. Mature fruit, side view. i. Seeds. Illustration by Isidro Gálvez from material collected by H. Ruiz & J.A. Pavón during their Peruvian expedition. Reproduced with the permission of MA herbarium (MA-AJB04-D-1396), where it is filed as Begonia utricularia.