Begonia suaviola Jara, 2016

Jara-Muñoz, O. A. & C. Dc, 2016, Two new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from the Colombian Western Cordillera, Phytotaxa 257 (1), pp. 81-88 : 82-83

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.257.1.6

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/961B87C1-2A14-FFE6-FF4E-FF08D4DDF955

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Begonia suaviola Jara
status

sp. nov.

Begonia suaviola Jara View in CoL sp. nov. Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 (A–I), Fig 3 View FIGURE 3 (A, B)

Similar to Begonia kalbreyeri (Oliv. in Hooker 1881: 38) L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. (1955: 45), but differs in the upper leaf surface, that is strigulose in Begonia suaviola and pilose to glabrescent in B. kalbreyeri . The leaves in B. suaviola are narrower (2.4–4.1 versus 1.8– 2.5 long/width) and with apex long acuminate versus acute. The teeth of the margin in B. suaviola are acute, while in B. kalbreyeri they are obtuse (see Appendix 1 for specimens examined).

Type:— COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca: municipio de El Cairo, vereda El Brillante, reserva natural Cerro El Inglés, 2217–2328 m, 27 September 2013, A. Jara & A. Avila 2447 (holotype ANDES!, isotypes CUVC!, HUA!, E! (to be distributed)).

Erect herb, 20–40 cm tall. Stem 1.4–2.5 mm in diameter, surface villous with hairs ca. 1.3 mm long. Stipules persistent, oblong to ovate, asymmetrical, 4.6–13.0 × 2.0– 4.6 mm, with some hairs, coriaceous, light green to whitish, margin entire, apex acute, with a terminal seta of ca. 1.0 mm long.Petiole 1.1–9.1 mm long, densely villous.Leaf lamina straight, oblong to elliptic, asymmetrical, 3.4–8.7 × 0.9–3.1 cm (2.4–4.1 length/width ratio), margin serrulate, base slightly oblique, apex long acuminate, strigose above, villous below, veins pinnate, with 6–10 pairs of veins. Inflorescences: monochasial cymes with very short internodes, bisexual or consisting only of staminate flowers, protrandrous; peduncle 15.5–38.4 mm long. Bracts caducous, 3.8–11.1 × 0.8–5.3 mm, elliptic to lanceolate; apex acute; margin entire. Secondary bracts similar to bracts. Staminate flowers: pedicels 4.0– 10.4 mm long, villous; perianth campanulate with two perianth series, outer tepals 2 fused to ¼ their total length, obovate, 7.0–13.6 × 4.2–10.1 mm, emarginate to the apex, with a few villi at the base, orange-red, inner tepals 2, free, flavelate, apex rounded to emarginate, slightly longer than the stamens, ca. 3.1 × 3.8 mm, pale red, glabrous; stamens with short filaments ca. 0.3 mm long, glabrous, without torous, anthers oblong, ca. 2.2 × 0.7 mm, with connectives not pronounced. Pistillate flowers: pedicels 0.6– 3.4(7) mm long; bracteoles wanting; perianth campanulate with two series, outer tepals 2–3 fused ca. ¾ of their length, obovate, 15.5–19.5 × 11–14.4 mm, glabrous, orange-red, margin crenate to entire, apex emarginate, inner tepals 3, free, flabellate, 2.7–5.1 × 3.3–4.3 mm. Ovary trilocular with entire placentae, ovuliferous throughout; styles multifid, 2.4–5.1 mm long; stigmatic surface covering only the apices of the styles. Capsule turbinate, trilocular, with three lateral “horns”, with a few hairs at the base,7.6–12.9 × 14.1–30.5 mm, beak of the horns 4.1–9.6 mm long.; apical column ca. 2.9 mm long.

Discussion:—It is possible to separate B. suaviola from closely related species within Begonia section Semibegoniella based on both floral and vegetative characters. Because of the number of stamens (4) and the two series of tepals in the pistillate and staminate flowers, this species is likely most related to B. kalbreyeri . However, the strigose abaxial leaf surface, and the leaf shape (oblong to elliptic versus ovate) of B. suaviola differentiate this species from B. kalbreyeri . Comparisons with other Semibegoniella species is presented in Table 1.

Distribution and habitat: —This species grows on the border between the Colombian departments of Valle del Cauca and Chocó, in cloud forests between 1700–2500 m ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ). The species prefers semi-open areas in undisturbed forest and water-saturated soils. It sometimes grows epiphytically on fallen trees, and on the base of standing trees, together with a variety of vascular epiphytes and mosses.

Etymology:—The epithet come from the Latin word suavium (=kiss), because the common name of this plant in Valle del Cauca is “besito”, the Spanish word for kiss.

A

Harvard University - Arnold Arboretum

ANDES

La Universidad de Los Andes

CUVC

Universidad del Valle

HUA

Universidad de Antioquia

E

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

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