Begonia lucychongiana S.Julia & Kiew

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 : 68-69

10. Begonia lucychongiana S.Julia & Kiew

Phytotaxa 99(1) (2013) 14; Kiew et al., Guide to Begonias of Borneo (2015) 172 Type:— MALAYSIA. Borneo. Sarawak. Marudi District : Gunung Mulu NP, Gunung Benarat, 19 April 2012, Sirukit et al. SFC 2839 (holotype SAR!) .

Distribution: — MALAYSIA. Borneo. Sarawak. Endemic in Gunung Mulu NP where it is widespread and common. Habitat: —Restricted to limestone habitats on shady rocks or on steep vertical cliff faces up to 900 m elevation.

Additional specimens examined: — MALAYSIA. Borneo. Sarawak. Marudi District: Gunung Mulu NP – Melinau Gorge, Julaihi S 86850 (SAR); Burtt & Wood B 2315 (SAR); Gunung Api, Anderson S 31754 (SAR); Near Camp 5, Julaihi et al. S 84401 (SAR); North side of Melinau Gorge, Nielsen 397 (SAR); Sungai Melinau, Wind Cave, Stone 13600 (SAR), Sirukit & Mohd. Azam SFC 3004 (SAR); Gunung Benarat, Chai S 30411 (SAR), Abang Mohtar & Othman S 49665 (SAR); Hidden Valley, Yii & Talib S 58702 (SAR); Boardwalk to Clearwater Cave, Julia et al. S 99217 (SAR); Clearwater Cave, Julia et al. S 99216 (SAR); Trail from Lobang Cina to Camp 5, Sirukit & Mohd. Azam SFC 3002 (SAR), SFC 3004 (SAR); Gunung Benarat, Sirukit et al. SFC 2839 (SAR); Gunung Susu, Ling et al. SFC 6940 (SAR).

Notes: —A creeping species with slender stems often rooting at the nodes, rarely branching. It has plain, glabrous and oblique leaves, 5–10 × 5–13 cm, with deeply cordate but not overlapping leaf base, serrate margin and mucronate leaf apex, palmate venation with 1–2 veins in basal lobe. The inflorescence is longer than petiole, while the capsule is broadly ovate, 8–15 × 9–13 mm.