Begonia anemoniflora Irmsch.

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 : 160-164

35. Begonia anemoniflora Irmsch.

Figs 52A , 53

Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 76 (1): 7 ( Irmscher 1953).

– Type: PERU – Junín Region: Prov. Tarma • Entre Huacapistana y Palca ; 2000 m a.s.l.; 1903; A. Weberbauer 2015; lectotype: B [ B100186696 ], designated here; isolectotype: MOL [ MOL0002990 ] • Prov. Tarma: oberhalb Huacapistana ; [11°15′ S, 75°32′ W]; 1700–2200 m a.s.l.; 29 Nov. 1902; A. Weberbauer 1764; syntype: B [ B100186695 ].

Brako & Zarucchi (1993: 191); León & Monsalve (2006: 165); Tebbitt (2015: 480).

Etymology

Named for the superficial resemblance of the species’ flowers to those of anemones ( Anemone L., Ranunculaceae ).

Specimens examined

PERU – Pasco Region • Huánuco, ca 80 km cerro de Pasco, 40° N, 3265 m a.s.l.; 10 Jan. 1971; H. Ellenberg 4003; US [ US00289144 ]. – Junín Region: Prov. Tarma • above Huacapistana ; [11°14′ S, 75°31′W]; 1981 m a.s.l.; Oct. 1943; C. Sandeman 4512; GH, K [ K000374270 ], OXF .– Prov. Concepción • Dist. Comas, route from Concepción to Comas, km 93 ; 11°37′41″ S, 75°01′36″ W; 3661 m a.s.l.; 13 Feb. 2016; P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 226; E [ E00885566 ] • ibid., km 45 ; 11°44′23″ S, 75°07′38″ W; 3580 m a.s.l.; 12 Feb. 2016; P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 223; E [ E00885595 ], MOL • ibid., km 42 ; 11°45′52″ S, 75°08′39″ W; 3852 m a.s.l.; 12 Feb. 2016; P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 222; E [ E00885603 ], MO, MOL • Dist. Comas, road from Comas to Satipo ; 11°41′43″ S, 75°04′20″ W; 3313 m a.s.l.; 12 Feb. 2016; P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 225; E [ E00934209 ], G, MO [ MO-3254780 ], MOL. – [ Prov. Yauli] • Vicinity of Oroya ; [11°31′ S, 75°53′ W]; 3657 m a.s.l.; A.S. Kalenborn 104; US [ US00222272 ] • Dist. Oroya; [11°42′ S, 75°05′ W]; J.C. Vargas Calderón 6586; CUZ.

Description

Acaulescent, rhizomatous herb, to 30 cm high. Rhizome elongate, to 10 × 1 cm, with 1 growing point. Stipules persistent, triangular, 5–10 × 5 mm, apex acute, opaque, brown, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate. Leaves 1–5, alternate, basifixed; petiole 3–20 cm long, red, villous to densely villous; blade subsymmetric, ovate, to 6 × 6.5 cm, succulent, apex indistinct, rounded, base cordate, basal lobes not overlapping, sinus to 3 cm deep, margin dentate, ciliate, upper surface mid to dark green, pilose, lower surface pale green to red, villous to densely villous, veins palmate, 5–7 veined from the base. Inflorescences 1, bisexual, axillary, erect, cymose, with 2 branches, bearing up to 1 staminate flower and 2 pistillate flowers, protandrous; peduncle to 35 cm long, red, villous, bracts late deciduous, elliptical, 8–12 × 4 mm, opaque, red, villous to glabrous, apex truncate, margin entire, aciliate. Staminate flowers: pedicels to 45 mm long, villous; tepals 8–12, spreading, elliptic, 9–20 × 1–7 mm, apex emarginate, white to pink, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; stamens 40–60, spreading, yellow, filaments 1–1.5 mm long, free, anthers oblong, 1–1.5 × ca 0.5 mm long, dehiscing through lateral slits, connectives extending to 0.2 mm, symmetrically basifixed. Pistillate flowers: pedicels to 35 mm long; bracteoles lacking to 2, positioned directly beneath the ovary, lanceolate, 1.5–3 × 1–1.5 mm, apex acute, opaque, white, villous, margin entire, aciliate, tepals 8–10, subequal, late-deciduous in fruit, spreading, elliptic, 4–15 × 1.5–5 mm, apex emarginate, white to pink, glabrous inside, villous outside, margin entire, aciliate; ovary body ovoid, 3.5–8 × 3.5–8 mm, red, villous, unequally 3-winged, largest wing triangular, 4–9 × 3–8 mm, smallest wings a 1 mm wide ridge around the ovary; 3-locular, placentae branches divided, bearing ovules on both surfaces; styles 3, yellow, free, 2–4 mm long, ca 8-lobed, stigmatic papillae in a spiral band. Fruiting pedicel to 40 mm long. Fruit body ovoid, to 8 × 8 mm, drying brown, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest expanding to 10 × 12 mm, the smallest expanding to a 2 mm wide ridge, sometimes wider towards the fruit apex.

Proposed conservation assessment

Assessed by León & Monsalve (2006) as Data Deficient (DD). We were unable to locate this species in either Pasco Region or Tarma Province of Junín Region, but it is common in Concepción Province of Junín, and we observed> 10 000 individuals along and surrounding a 10 km section of road. Now known from an EOO of ca 2500 km 2. No threats were observed to the species in Concepción Province, but due to our inability to relocate populations elsewhere, we assess B. anemoniflora as Endangered (EN B1ab(iv)).

Notes

The collections made in Concepción Province, Junín Region by Moonlight & Daza in 2016 are from a different population to all earlier collections of B. anemoniflora . Specimens in this population have a much sparser indumentum and much larger flowers to plants collected elsewhere. We suspect this may be because B. anemoniflora has hybridised with B. octopetala in this habitat, with which it grows sympatrically. We also record bracteoles on plants of B. anemoniflora for the first time in this population (P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 225).

Typification notes

Irmscher cited the collections A. Weberbauer 1764 and 2015 in the protologue of B. anemoniflora but did not specify a type or cite an herbarium for either specimen ( Irmscher 1953: 76). It is therefore appropriate to choose a lectotype. We designate A. Weberbauer 2015 in Berlin (B100186696) as the lectotype for B. anemoniflora because this specimen was seen and determined by Irmscher, it is a high-quality specimen, and there is also a duplicate of this specimen in the Weberbauer herbarium in Peru.

Identification notes

Begonia anemoniflora is unique among members of the octopetala group of B. sect. Eupetalum in having distinctly emarginate (notched) apices to the staminate tepals.

Tebbitt (2015) distinguished B. anemoniflora from the Bolivian and Argentinian B. marinae Tebbitt by its greater number of tepals on the staminate flower; its white to pink (vs uniformly bright pink) tepals; its smaller leaf blades; and its ovary lacking bracteoles. We have since collected specimens of B. anemoniflora with bracteoles, but the other distinguishing characters used by Tebbitt still hold.

Distribution and ecology

Endemic to Peru and known from Pasco and Junín Regions ( Fig. 52A ). Found in upper montane forest and high elevation grasslands at an elevation of 1980–3850 m a.s.l. From early collections, it was suspected that B. anemoniflora would be located growing on limestone or perhaps wet cliffsides in montane forest. During fieldwork in 2016, the authors observed this species growing on wet but well-drained acidic soils in full sunshine. The species has flowers that resemble several members of the Asteraceae and it is possible that B. anemoniflora resembles these species in order to deceive pollinators.

Figures

Fig. 52. Distribution of the octopetala group of Begonia sect. Eupetalum (Lindl.) A.DC. in Peru and surrounding countries. A. B. anemoniflora Irmsch. (red) and B. tumbezensis Irmsch. (blue). B. B. octopetala L.Hér. subsp. octopetala (red) and B. octopetala subsp. ovatiformis Irmsch. (blue). C. B. pleiopetala A.DC. (red) and B. pseudopleiopetala Tebbitt (blue). D. B. polypetala A.DC. (red). Black lines indicate country borders, grey lines indicate major administrative divisions, blue lines indicate rivers, and shading indicates elevation.

Fig. 53. Begonia anemoniflora Irmsch. A. Habitat.B. Habit.C. Staminate flower, front view. D. Pistillate flowers, front view. All photographs taken by P.W. Moonlight from P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 222 (C, D), 223 (A), and 225 (B) in Concepción Province, Junín Region.