Begonia alto-peruviana A.DC.

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 : 99-101

19. Begonia alto-peruviana A.DC.

Fig. 35A

Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 11: 123 ( de Candolle 1859).

– Type: BOLIVIA – Prov. Larecaja • Vallées entre Tipuani et Apolobamba ; May 1847; M.H. Weddell 4556; lectotype: P [ P05586898 , photo K], first stage designated by Smith & Schubert (1941a: 185); second stage designated by Smith & Schubert (1944: 81).

de Candolle (1864: 289); Smith & Schubert (1941a: 185, 1944: 81); Wasshausen et al. (2014: 383).

Etymology

The type specimen of this species was collected in La Paz Department in modern day Bolivia. Much of Bolivia was previously governed by Spain as Alto Peru and the species epithet is in reference to this, despite the fact Bolivia was declared independent before the type was collected and long before the protologue was published.

Specimens examined

PERU – Cusco Region: Prov. Quispicanchis • Marcapata-Quincemil road , between Puente Capiri and Mandor; 13°24′ S, 70°33′ W; 1152 m a.s.l.; 8 Jan. 2015; M.C. Tebbitt & A. Daza 808; E [ E01059294 ], MOL . – Puno Region: Prov. Carabaya • Alrededores de San Gabán ; 13°38′32.94″ S, 70°28′12.9″ W; 1610–1700 m a.s.l.; 9 Jan. 2016; H. Trinidad HT-4101; USM • Ollachea-San Gabán road, Camatane ; [13°38′ S, 70°27′ W]; 25 Aug. 1980; J.D. Boeke & S. Boeke 3206; NY • Ollachea abajo ; [13°37′ S, 70°27′ W]; 1200–1400 m a.s.l.; Jul. 1966; J.C. Vargas Calderón 17597; MO [ MO-1835899 ] . – Prov. Sandia • bajando a Valle Grande ; [14°18′ S, 69°27′ W]; 2200 m a.s.l.; 7Aug. 1957; J.C. Vargas Calderón 11845; CUZ .

Description

Caulescent herb, to 1 m high. Stem erect, branching; internodes to 5.5 cm long, to 5 mm thick, succulent, brown, glabrous. Stipules deciduous, elliptic, ca 35 × 10 mm, apex obtuse, translucent, pale green, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate. Leaves> 5, alternate, basifixed; petiole 2.5–5.5 cm long, green, glabrous to sparsely pilose; blade asymmetric, ovate, to 19 × 10 cm, succulent, apex short-acuminate, base cordate, basal lobes not overlapping, sinus to 25 mm deep, margin serrulate, ciliate, upper surface dark green, glabrous, lower surface pale green to red, glabrous, veins palmate-pinnate, 7–8 veined from the base, with 3–4 secondary veins on the larger side, 1–3 secondary veins on the larger side. Inflorescences 1–3, bisexual, axillary, erect, cymose, with 16 branches, bearing up to 32 staminate flowers and 16 pistillate flowers, protandrous; peduncle to 7.5 cm long, colour unknown, glabrous, bracts deciduous, ovate, ca 1 × 0.5 mm, translucent, colour unknown, glabrous, apex obtuse, margin entire, aciliate. Male flowers: pedicels to 8 mm long, glabrous; tepals 2, spreading, broadly ovate, 6–7 × 6–8 mm, apex obtuse, white flushed pink, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; stamens ca 15, spreading, yellow, filaments ca 2 mm long, free, anthers ellipsoid, ca 1.5 × 0.5 mm long, dehiscing via lateral slits, connectives extended to 0.2 mm, symmetrically basifixed. Female flowers: pedicels to 30 mm long; bracteoles 3, positioned directly beneath the ovary, broadly-ovate, 5–6 × 6–7 mm, apex rounded, translucent, pink, glabrous, margin serrate, ciliate; tepals 5, subequal, persistent in fruit, spreading, lanceolate, 12–15 × 4–6 mm, apex obtuse, white, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; ovary body ovoid, 8–10 × 6–8 mm, white flushed pink on the outside, glabrous, unequally 3-winged, wings triangular, largest 8–11 × 10–13 mm, smallest 10–11 × 4–5 mm; 3-locular, placentae branches divided, bearing ovules on both surfaces; styles 3, yellow, free, 4–6 mm long, once-divided, stigmatic papillae in a spirally twisted band. Fruiting pedicel to 35 mm long. Fruit body ovoid, to 10 × 8 mm, drying pale brown, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest expanding to 15 × 15 mm, the smallest expanding to 14 × 6 mm.

Proposed conservation assessment

Broadly distributed with a range encompassing Cuzco and Puno Regions of Peru and much of northern and central Andean Bolivia. It seems common within its Bolivian range and was extremely common in September 2020 in the valley of the río Sandia, including in disturbed areas, despite being known from only a single collection in this area. We assess B. alto-peruviana as Least Concern (LC).

Typification notes

The protologue of B. alto-peruviana cited material collected by Weddell “in Peruvia Alta sive Bolivia ” but cited no specific collection ( de Candolle 1859: 123). The first stage of lectotypification was carried out by Smith & Schubert (1941a: 185), who cited the collection M.H. Weddell 4556. The same authors later cited a duplicate of this collection in Paris herbarium as the type, which constitutes the second stage of lectotypification ( Smith & Schubert 1944).

Notes

This represents the first confirmed record of B. alto-peruviana from Peru. De Candolle (1859) was unsure of whether the type collection was made in Peru or Bolivia, but it was collected in Bolivia. Smith & Schubert (1941a) stated that the species “undoubtedly occurs in Peru ” but cited no specimens. Begonia alto-peruviana was later included in the checklist of plants of Peru ( Brako & Zarucchi 1993) but based only upon Smith & Schubert’s flora account ( Smith & Schubert 1941a).

Identification notes

Begonia alto-peruviana is one of three species in the stenotepala group with white to pink tepals with obtuse to rounded apices, sharing these characters with B. brevicordata and B. subspinulosa . It is best distinguished from these species by vegetative characteristics. Begonia brevicordata is a much less robust species and while it does reach 1 m in height it has much more delicate stems (reaching 3 mm wide) compared to B. alto-peruviana , whose mature stems are always at least 5 mm wide. The leaves of B. brevicordata are much smaller (reaching 6.5 × 4.5 cm) than those of B. alto-peruviana (which reach 19 × 10 cm) and are much more rounded in outline (the leaves of B. alto-peruviana are around twice as long as wide whereas those of B. brevicordata are usually wider than they are long). It differs from B. subspinulosa in its early deciduous stipules, which are rarely seen on specimens in contrast to the conspicuous, persistent stipules of B. subspinulosa . While both species have serrulate (to serrate) leaf margins, the margins of B. subspinulosa have a distinctive, sharp appearance lacking in B. alto-peruviana . Finally, B. subspinulosa can have three or five tepals while B. alto-peruviana always has five.

Distribution and ecology

Known from Peru and Bolivia and within Peru collected in Cuzco and Puno Regions ( Fig. 35A ). Found in lower and middle montane forest at an elevation of 1152–1700 m a.s.l.

Figures

Fig. 35. Distribution of the stenotepala group of Begonia sect. Cyathocnemis (Klotzsch) A.DC. in Peru and surrounding countries. A. B. alto-peruviana A.DC. (red). B. B. brevicordata L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. (red), B. deltoidesMoonlight sp. nov. (blue), and B. lucifuga Irmsch (green). C. B. longitepalaMoonlight sp. nov. (red) and B. subspinulosa Irmsch. (blue). D. B. stenotepala L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. (red). Black lines indicate country borders, grey lines indicate major administrative divisions, blue lines indicate rivers, and shading indicates elevation.