Begonia asperifolia Irmscher (1927: 359)

Taram, Momang, Borah, Dipankar & Hughes, Mark, 2023, Two new records of Begonia for the flora of India from Arunachal Pradesh, Phytotaxa 584 (2), pp. 115-120 : 115-116

Begonia asperifolia Irmscher (1927: 359) ( Fig. 2 )

Type:— CHINA. Yunnan, 2700 m a.s.l., 23rd August 1916, H . Handel-Mazzetti 9939 (Syntype-E[ E00315023 ]) .

Herbs,deciduous.Tubers pink,subglobose, 1.3–2cm in diam.Stipules caducous.Leaves1–5, basal leaf1–2,occasionally on a short stem; petiole 8–23 cm, sub-glabrous or tomentose; blade broadly ovate, rugulose, asymmetric, 15–30 × 11–23 cm, abaxially pubescent, more prominent on veins, rusty tomentose, pinkish, adaxially sparsely pubescent or densely strigose, green; venation palmate, 6–8 veined, base slightly oblique, cordate, margin irregularly serrulate, undivided or very shallowly lobed. Inflorescences terminal, up to 30-flowered, cymose, 12–25 cm tall, branched up to 4 times, glabrescent; primary peduncle 8–11 cm long, secondary peduncle 5–8 cm long, tertiary peduncle 2–4 cm, quaternary peduncle 0.5–1.5 cm long; bracts oblong-ovate to broadly ovate, 0.8–1.2 × 1–1.2 cm, hyaline, glabrous, apex obtuse, margin entire. Staminate flowers: pedicel 1–1.5 cm long; tepals 4, pink, glabrous, outer 2 sub-orbicular, 10–1.03 × 10–12 mm, inner 2 oblong to ovate-oblong, 0.8–1 × 0.3–0.6 cm; stamens numerous; filaments free c. 1 mm; anthers oblong, c. 1 mm. Pistillate flowers: pedicel 2–3 cm; tepals 5 or 6, pink, unequal, obovate to sub-orbicular, 5–12 × 4–13 mm, glabrous; ovary elliptic, c. 7 × 5 mm, glabrous, 3–loculed; placentae axile, bi-lamellate; styles 3, free; stigmas Ushaped, slightly spiralled. Capsule pendulous, oblong to obovoid-oblong, unequally 3-winged; central wing triangular or obliquely so, 12–14 × 8–11 mm; lateral wings 3–4 mm, rarely absent or reduced to very narrow lamellae.

Flowering and Fruiting:― August–November.

Distribution:― China (northwestern Yunnan and Tibet), Myanmar (Chin State) and India (Arunachal Pradesh).

Habitat and Ecology:― It grows on vertical cliffs along with Begonia josephi A.DC. , Begonia markiana Taram, Wahlsteen & D.Borah , Henckelia pumila (D.Don) A.Dietr. , Henckelia lachenensis (C.B.Clarke) D.J.Middleton & Mich.Möller , etc. along with mosses and liverworts.

Specimen examined:― INDIA. Arunachal Pradesh, Lower Dibang Valley District, Mayodia , 2000 m, 22 September 2021, M. Taram & O.Taku 5478 (ASSAM).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Begonia asperifolia Irmsch. a, b. habit, c. adaxial leaf surface, d. abaxial leaf, e, f. outer and inner surface of stipules, g. bracts, h. inflorescence, i, j. male flower, k, l. stamens, m, o. female flower, p. cross section of ovary, q, r. capsule.