Begonia rhodoneura S.Julia

Sang, Julia, Kiew, Ruth & Yiing, Ling Chea, 2018, The Begonia flora of Gunung Mulu and Gunung Buda National Parks, Sarawak, Borneo, including five new species, Phytotaxa 381 (1), pp. 58-79 : 73

15. Begonia rhodoneura S.Julia

Phytotaxa 99(1) (2013) 23; Kiew et al., Guide to Begonias of Borneo (2015) 228. Type: — MALAYSIA. Borneo. Sarawak. Marudi District : Gunung Mulu NP, Gunung Benarat, 15 April 2012, Julia et al. SFC 2801 (holotype SAR!) .

Distribution: — MALAYSIA. Borneo. Sarawak. Endemic in Gunung Mulu NP.

Habitat: —In lowland limestone forest on limestone boulders or mossy rock faces, at 102–235 m elevation.

Additional specimens examined: — MALAYSIA. Borneo. Sarawak. Marudi District: Gunung Mulu NP – Bukit Agung, Julia et al. SFC 2813 (SAR), SFC 2822 (SAR); Gunung Benarat, Baie et al. SFC 2833 (SAR), Abang Mohtar et al S 49472 (SAR); Lobang Cina, Abang Mohtar & Othman S 49413 (SAR), Anderson & Keng S 4452 (SAR). Gunung Buda NP – Gunung Buda, Julia et al. SFC 2824 (SAR), Burtt B 8342 (SAR).

Notes: —Scrambling horizontally to 1.5 m tall or sometimes creeping on rock surfaces and tree trunks and rooting at the nodes; this species is rather bushy and much-branched. Its leaves are slightly velvety above, plain green, very oblique and asymmetric, broadly ovate, 6–14.5 × 6–13.5 cm with a cordate and overlapping leaf base and minutely toothed margin. The venation is palmate with 2 veins in the basal lobe, on the upper surface the dark red veins contrast with the predominantly dark green lamina. The racemose inflorescence is shorter than the petiole and the capsule is oblong, 19–30 × 10–17 mm.