Begonia brandbygeana L.B.Sm. & Wassh.

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 : 192-193

45. Begonia brandbygeana L.B.Sm. & Wassh.

Flora of Ecuador 25 (133): 54 ( Smith & Wasshausen 1986).

– Type: ECUADOR – Prov. Morona- Santiago • Taisha , 8–10 km N-NW of the military camp; 2°21′ S, 77°31′ W; 650–700 m a.s.l.; 16 Jun. 1980; J. Brandbyge & E. Astana C. 31965; holotype: AAU ; isotypes: QCA [ QCA19521 , QCA217565 ], US [ US00221538 ].

Quintana & León-Yáñez (2011: 198).

Etymology

The type collection of B. brandbygeana was collected by John Brandbyge, and the species is named in his honour.

Specimens examined

PERU – Loreto Region • Puranchim, río Sinchiyacu , 2°50′ S, 76°55′ W; 200 m a.s.l.; 21–27 Nov. 1986; W.H. Lewis, M. Elvin-Lewis, J. Campos & D. Fast 11874; MO [ MO-2340411 ], USM . – Ucayali Region: Prov. Purús • Dist. Purús, río Curanja , cerca la comunidad nativa Colombiana, 10°04′ S, 71°06′ W; 300–350 m a.s.l.; 16 Jul. 2002; J.G. Graham & J. Schunke V. 1754; US [ US01944296 ].

Description

Caulescent, herb, to 40 cm high. Stem erect, branching; internodes to 2 cm long, to 7 mm thick, succulent, brown, glabrous. Stipules late deciduous, triangular, 4–8 × 2–3 mm, apex acuminate, terminating in a 2–4 mm long hair, opaque, brown, glabrous, margin entire, ciliate. Leaves 2–5 per stem, alternate, basifixed; petiole 0.5–2.5 cm long, colour unknown, glabrous to sparsely pilose; blade asymmetric, lanceolate, to 11.5 × 5 cm, membranaceous, apex acuminate, base rounded on the wider side of the blade, cuneate on the narrow side, margin serrate, ciliate, upper surface green, glabrous to sparsely pilose, lower surface pale green, glabrous to sparsely pilose, veins pinnate, 2–3 veined from the base, with 4–6 secondary veins on the larger side, 2–4 secondary veins on the smaller side. Inflorescences 1–3 per stem, bisexual, axillary, erect, cymose, with 3 branches, bearing up to 8 staminate flowers and 4 pistillate flowers, protandrous; peduncle to 9 cm long, colour unknown, glabrous, bracts persistent, ovate, 1.5–2.5 × 1 mm, translucent, colour unknown, glabrous, apex acute, margin entire, aciliate. Staminate flowers: pedicels to 5 mm long, glabrous; tepals 5, spreading, outer 2 ovate, 5–7 × 4–5 mm, apex rounded, white to pink, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate, inner 2 oblanceolate, 5–6 × 1 mm, apex rounded, white to pink, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; stamens ca 30, spreading, yellow, filaments ca 1 mm long, fused into a short column at the base, anthers obovoid, ca 0.5 × 0.5 mm, dehiscing via lateral slits, connectives not extending, symmetrically basifixed. Pistillate flowers: pedicels to 3 mm long; bracteoles 1, positioned directly beneath the ovary, filiform, 2–4 × 0.2 mm, apex narrowly-acuminate, translucent, colour unknown, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; tepals 5 (or 6?), subequal, deciduous in fruit, spreading, ovate, 4–5 × 2–4 mm, apex obtuse, white to pink, minutely glandular pilose, margin entire, aciliate; ovary body ovoid, ca 2.5 × 1 mm, colour unknown, minutely glandular pilose, subequally 3-winged, wings triangular, largest 6–9 × 2–3 mm, smallest 6–9 × 1–2 mm; 3-locular, placentae unknown; styles 3, yellow, free, 3–4 mm long, once-divided, stigmatic papillae in a spirally twisted band. Fruiting pedicel to 3 mm long. Fruit body ovoid, to 15 × 5 mm, drying brown, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest expanding to 19 × 6 mm, the smallest expanding to 19 × 5 mm.

Proposed conservation assessment

Assessed by Quintana & León-Yáñez (2011) as Vulnerable (VU D2) on the basis of the type specimen. We add two collections to the species’ distribution and extend its EOO to> 12 000 km 2. We reassess B. brandbygeana as Vulnerable (VU D2).

Notes

The collections we cite here are the first tentative records of B. brandbygeana from Peru. We cannot be entirely confident about the identification of these specimens, which collectively have a single staminate flower, no pistillate flowers, and no fruits. In all vegetative respects; however, these collections are indistinguishable from B. brandbygeana .

Identification notes

Begonia brandbygeana is most similar to B. maynensis A.DC. as both species have erect stems with late-deciduous stipules and more or less lanceolate leaf blades. They can be distinguished by the apices of their stipules (acuminate in both species but ending in a 2–4 mm long hair in B. brandbygeana ) and their inflorescence, which branches up to 6 times in B. maynensis but only twice in B. brandbygeana . The leaves of B. brandbygeana also dry translucent whereas those of B. maynensis dry opaque, suggesting it has more membranaceous leaves.

Distribution and ecology

Known from Ecuador and Peru. Within Peru, known from Loreto and Ucayali Regions at an elevation of 200–350 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 62A ). Begonia brandbygeana has been collected in terra firme forest and close to small to medium sized rivers within Amazonian forest.

Figures

Fig. 62. Distribution of Begonia sect. Knesebeckia in Peru. A. B. brandbygeana L.B.Sm. & Wassh. (red) and B. parcifolia (blue). B. B. piurensis L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. (red) and B. velata L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. (blue). Black lines indicate country borders, grey lines indicate major administrative divisions, blue lines indicate rivers, and shading indicates elevation.