Begonia burabod Rubite, C. Justo, P. Villaseñor & C.W. Lin, 2021

Rubite, Rosario Rivera, Justo, Celeena Aimeree De Guzman, Villaseñor, Patricka Coliflores, Delos Angeles, Marjorie D., Tandang, Danilo N. & Lin, Che-Wei, 2021, Three new species of Begonia (section Baryandra, Begoniaceae) from Samar Island, the Philippines, Phytotaxa 516 (3), pp. 263-274 : 269-272

3. Begonia burabod Rubite, C. Justo, P. Villaseñor & C.W. Lin , sp. nov. ( Figs. 6 & 7 )

Type:— PHILIPPINES. Samar Island , Province of Samar, Municipality of Paranas , Barangay Tenani , Samar Island Natural Park , on soil slope that is shaded and moist, elevation 150 m, 11°48′50′′N, 125°9′38′′E, 7 December 2018, R . Rubite 994 (holotype PNH) .

Monoecious perennial herbs. Stem brown, prostrate, 3–5 cm long, 5–7 mm in diameter, internodes 1.5–3 cm, villous (hairs 2 mm long, pink, turning pale brown with age). Stipules persistent, brownish pink to magenta, ovate-triangular, 7–9 × 5–7 mm, herbaceous, strongly keeled, villous with a tuft of fimbriae at the base, margin entire, apex aristate. Leaves alternate, petiole terete, 9−14 cm long, 2.5−4 mm thick, reddish to pale green, villous (hairs 2–3 mm long, pink, turning pale brown with age); leaf blade asymmetric, oblique, ovate, 5−10 × 4–8 cm, basal lobes cordate, apex acuminate, margin coarsely dentate and irregularly angular; leaf blade thickly chartaceous, adaxially green and most leaves have white spots at interveins, puberulous (hairs 0.5–1 mm long), waxy; abaxially light green, puberulous but more and longer on veins; primary veins 5–6. Inflorescence axillary, bisexual, cymosely branching panicle 15–24 cm long, arising directly from rhizome, branching 4–5 times with prominent nodes when mature, erect, peduncle 13–17 cm long, 2–4 mm in diameter; cream becoming green towards the apex with sparse pale brown hairs (0.5 mm long); pedicels 5–8 mm erect to ascending in staminate flowers, horizontal in pistillate flowers. Bracts pink, hyaline, deciduous, glabrous, wide ovate, boat-shaped, apex acute, margin entire. Staminate flowers: tepals pinkish-white 2+2 glabrous, outer pair orbicular, 8–9 × 7–8 mm, inner pair oblanceolate 8–9 × 4–5 mm; stamens 20–30; filaments 1 mm long united at the base; anthers yellow, obovate, apex rounded ca. 1 mm long. Pistillate flower: tepals pink 2+2 glabrous, outer pair orbicular, 8–9 × 6–8 mm, inner pair oblanceolate 8–9 × 4–5 mm; ovary pale green, oblong, 8–9 × 4–5 mm (wings excluded), glabrous; wings 3, equal, rounded 10–12 × 3–4 mm, ovary 3-locular, placentae axile, bilamellate; styles 3, yellow, ca. 3 mm long, stigma spirally twisted. Capsule pendent, pedicel 7–10 mm long, tepals deciduous; 10–13 × 11–14 mm (wings included); wings 3, equal, rounded, glabrous, 10–13 × 4–5 mm.

Etymology: — The species is named after the local word “burabod” which means spring in Waray language, reflecting the moist habitat of the Begonia .

Distribution and habitat:— Begonia burabod grows abundantly on soil slopes that are shaded and moist, at 150 m in elevation.

Notes:— B. burabod is similar to B. merrilliana Peng et al. (2017: 5) in having villous rhizomes and petioles, strongly keeled stipules, petiole 9−14 cm long, oblique, ovate leaves (5−12 × 4–8 cm) with margins irregularly angular, peduncle 7−17 cm long, capsule equal or subequal. However, the new species differs in having an adaxially green lamina, usually with white spots between the veins (vs. dark green or with a brown band along the veins, sometimes variegated with grayish green spots between major veins); branches of the inflorescence with prominent nodes when mature (vs. absence of nodes); apex of inner tepals rounded (vs. truncate to retuse); stamens 20–30 (vs. 38–62); ovary pale green 8–9 × 4–5 mm, glabrous (vs. yellowish green to reddish ca. 5 × 3.5 mm with sparse sessile glands); capsule pedicel 7–10 mm long (vs. 10–19 mm); wings rounded 10–13 × 4–5 mm (vs. triangular 7 × 2–6 mm).

Proposed Conservation Status: —About 10 populations were observed in one hill side in Barangay Tenani, about 30 more populations in Barangay San Isidro, and more populations in Taft, Eastern Samar, thus according to the IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2019), B. burabod is hereby proposed to be placed under the Least Concern (LC) category.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Begonia burabod Rubite, C.Justo, P.Villaseñor & C.W.Lin. A. Habit; B, B’. Portion of leaf adaxial and abaxial surfaces; C. Stipule; D, D’. Bracts; E, E’. Staminate flower, face and side views; F, F’. Stamens, ventral and dorsal views; G, G’. Pistillate flower, face and side views; H, H’. Style and stigmatic band, dorsal and ventral views; I. Cross section of an immature capsule; J. Capsule; K. Branches of inflorescence. All from R. Rubite 994.

FIGURE 7. Begonia burabod Rubite, C.Justo, P.Villaseñor & C.W.Lin.A, B. Habit and habitats; C. Stipules; D. Capsules in the branched inflorescence. All from R. Rubite 994.