Begonia

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 : 9

Group 5 – Leaves ovate and symmetric to sub-symmetric ( Fig. 4A )

1. Plant with an erect stem, peduncles arising from leaf axils .............................................................. 2 – Plant without an erect stem, peduncles arising from rhizome or tuber ............................................ 3

2. Leaves 2–7 cm long, tepals under 5 mm long, stamens 8–12 with a short connective, female flowers with 5–6 tepals, fruit wings oblong, straight edged .................................... B. wengeri C.E.C.Fisch.

– Leaves 5–20 cm long, tepals 5–10 mm long, stamens ± 30 with a very long connective, female flowers with 4–5 tepals, fruit wings rounded oblong ....................................... B. brevicaulis A.DC.

3. Upper surface of leaves glabrous ...................................................................................................... 4 – Upper surface of leaves with sparse to dense hairs .......................................................................... 7

4. Stipules over 1 cm long, flowers with striped outer tepals,> 30 stamens, styles 2 ............................ ...................................................................................................... B. hatacoa Buch. -Ham. ex D.Don

– Stipules under 1 cm, flowers without stripes, up to 20 stamens, styles 3 ......................................... 5

5. Leaves 3–10 cm long, tepals ca 5 mm long ....................................................... B. ovatifolia A.DC. – Leaves (5–) 10–20 cm long, tepals 5–20 mm long .......................................................................... 6

6. Leaves puberulous below, stipules 2 mm long, tepals with pale fine hairs, stamens 20, female flowers with 4–5 tepals, longest fruit wing 2.5–3 cm ......................................... B. adscendens C.B.Clarke

– Leaves sparse pilose below, stipules 5–6 mm long, tepals with dark hairs, stamens 8–10, female flowers with 3–4 tepals, longest fruit wing 1–1.5 cm .......................................... B. labordei H.Lév.

7. Stipules> 5 mm long, fruit capsule glabrous ................................................................................... 8 – Stipules <5 mm long, fruit capsule covered in hairs ....................................................................... 9

8. Leaves up to 25 cm long, tepals with dark hairs, stamens 8–10, styles 3, longest fruit wing curved ................................................................................................................... B. labordei H.Lév.

– Leaves 3–15 cm long, tepals with pale fine hairs, stamens 15–40, styles 2, longest wing triangular ............................................................................................................... B. wattii C.B.Clarke

9. Leaves variegated, 3–16 cm long, petiole 5–12 cm, outer tepals serrate, pink, fruit with long fine white hairs, longest fruit wing triangular, 20–24 mm long ............................................ B. picta Sm.

– Leaves uniform green, 5–30 cm long, petioles 2–8 cm, outer tepals entire, white, fruit with scattered simple hairs, longest fruit wing rounded, 8–16 mm long ................................. B. brevicaulis A.DC.

Figures

Fig. 4. Leaf tracings. A. Group 5: ovate and symmetric to slightly asymmetric leaves. B. Group 6: ovate, asymmetric and shallow dentate to denticulate leaves. C. Group 7: lanceolate (deltoid) and symmetric leaves.