Begonia josephi A.DC.

Camfield, Rebecca & Hughes, Mark, 2018, A revision and one new species of Begonia L. (Begoniaceae, Cucurbitales) in Northeast India, European Journal of Taxonomy 396, pp. 1-116 : 48-51

Begonia josephi A.DC. [sect. Diploclinium]

Figs 31–32

Annales des Sciences Naturelles; Botanique, Sér. 4, 11: 126 (de Candolle 1859).

– Type: India, Meghalaya, Khasia, Hooker & Thomson 34 (lecto-: K000761410 , here designated) .

Citations in other publications

de Candolle (1864: 313), Clarke (1879: 639), Clarke (1881: 118), Clarke (1890: 25), Kanjilal (1938: 334), Hara (1966: 214), Hara (1971: 84), Hara et al. (1979: 181), Grierson (1991: 240), Gu et al. (2007: 180), Uddin (2007: 594), Hughes (2008: 61), Dash (2010: 35), Verma et al. (2013: 179).

Other material

INDIA: Arunachal-Pradesh: Bomdilla, Joseph 40322 ( ARUN n.v.) ; Senge Dzong, 16 Aug. 1938, Ward 14092 ( BM, E). Assam: Tsuga, 25 Aug. 1928, Ward 8579 ( K). Meghalaya: Khasi Hills, Sep. 1885, Mann s.n. (ASSAM n.v.) ; Khasi Hills, Laitlyngkot, 17 Jul. 1946, Ward 16047 ( BM, E) ; Khasi Hills, Mairang, 12 Sep. 1886, Clarke 45693C ( BM) ; Khasi Hills, Mawphlang, 14 Sep. 1953, Chand 7223 ( MICH) ; ibid., 20 Oct. 1952, Chand 6498 ( MICH) ; ibid., 10 Sep. 1949, Koelz 23790 ( MICH) ; ibid., 20 Aug. 1952, Koelz 31179 ( MICH) ; ibid., 16 Oct. 1946, Ward 16049 ( BM) ; ibid., 10 Aug. 1949, Ward 18744 ( BM) ; Khasia, Hooker & Thomson 34 (iso-: B, BM, K, L, NY) ; ibid., 5 Jul. 1850, Hooker & Thomson 34 (iso-: K) ; ibid., 2 Apr. 1850, Hooker & Thomson 34 (iso-: K). Nagaland: Naga Hills, Pulebudge, 4 Aug. 1935, Bon 5304 ( K).

Description

Tuberous, stemless, monoecious herb, 15 –25 cm high. Stipules: lanceolate, 2–3 mm long, glabrous, deciduous. Leaves: petiole (5–)10–20(–30) cm long, glabrous or sparsely puberulous; lamina oblongovate to broadly ovate, peltate, base rounded to truncate, 7–20(–29) × 4–15(–23) cm, symmetric, upper surface green, hispid all over, underside red-purple, sparsely hispid mostly on the veins, venation palmate-pinnate; midrib 5–18 cm long; margin with acute lobes, denticulate, with very sparse short hairs; apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences: cymose, terminal, few; peduncle glabrous, branching 2–3 times, primary 9–15(–25), secondary 2–10 cm, tertiary 1–2 cm, with 2– 6 female and 4– 10 male flowers; bracts lanceolate, 3 mm long, glabrous. Male flowers: pedicel 9–15 mm long, glabrous; tepals 4; outer tepals broadly obovate, 5–10 × 3–5 mm, white, sparsely villose on reverse, margin entire; inner tepals spathulate, 3–5 × 1–3 mm, white, glabrous; androecium with 9–15 stamens, symmetric; filaments 1–2 mm long, subequal, fused at base into a short column; anther ellipsoid, 1–2 mm long, dehiscing through slits about half the length of the anther, not hooded, connective not extended. Female flower: pedicel 4–17 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles absent; tepals 4–5, unequal, 4 ovate, 1 lanceolate (not always present), outer tepals 5–10 × 4–7 mm, white, glabrous, margin entire, inner tepals similar but smaller; ovary 3-locular, placentae bifid; capsule oblong-ellipsoid, 3–5 × 2–4 mm, glabrous, with one long triangular wing and two short oblong wings; styles 3, shallowly U-shaped, persistent. Fruit: pendulous; capsule oblong-ellipsoid, 7–9 × 9–11 mm, glabrous; wings extending along the pedicel, unequal, rounded at the tips; longest wing rounded-oblong, 10–14 × 10–11 mm; shortest wings oblong, 1–3 × 7–9 mm.

Distribution and phenology

Arunachal-Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland; also in China, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Myanmar; 1500–2450 m. Flowering and fruiting: June to October.

Conservation status

Least Concern. Begonia josephi has an AOO of 172 km 2 and an EOO of 270,000 km 2 with plenty of suitable habitat from which it is commonly collected in the Eastern Himalayas. The species has been found in several national parks in Nepal and from Sakteng National Park in Bhutan.

Remarks

This is the only species known in the area with a peltate leaf. Koelz 31179 has a larger and a barely peltate leaf with a deeply cordate leaf base; however, the flowers compare very well to other specimens.

Figures

Fig. 31. Map showing the location of B. josephi A.DC. specimens.

Fig. 32. Begonia josephi A.DC. A. Plant habit. B. Male flower. Photographs courtesy of Sangeeta Rajbhandary of plants in Nepal.