Begonia aspersa Aver., Nuraliev & Y.M.Shui, 2021

Averyanov, Leonid V., Nuraliev, Maxim S., Konstantinov, Eugene L., Maisak, Tatiana V., Kopylov-Guskov, Yury O., Lyskov, Dmitry F., Quang, Bui Hong, Kuznetsov, Andrey N., Kuznetsova, Svetlana P., Nguyen, Khang Sinh & Shui, Yu-Min, 2021, New and noteworthy species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from Vietnam and Laos, Phytotaxa 522 (2), pp. 75-93 : 76

1. Begonia aspersa Aver., Nuraliev & Y.M.Shui , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

B. sect. Petermannia ( Klotzsch 1854: 124) de Candolle (1859: 128).

Diagnosis:— The new species is most similar to B. tatianae Aver. in Averyanov et al. (2019a: 93), differing mainly in its leaves with hairy petiole and blade, adaxial surface of blade with numerous irregular spots and without crystalloid bodies, inflorescences 2.5–8 cm long and as long as leaves, pistillate flowers with 5 tepals, glabrous ovary.

TYPE:— VIETNAM. Herbarium voucher specimen and photos prepared from living plants on 28 August 2020 by L. Averyanov, T. Maisak, plants originated from Ha Giang Province, Quan Ba District, Can Ty Commune , Sin Suoi Ho Village , around point 23°05’44.4’’N 105°01’17.1’’E, very steep mountain slopes composed of solid highly eroded karstic limestone at elevation 800–1000 m a.s.l., remnants of primary evergreen broad-leaved and coniferous (with Calocedrus rupestris and Xanthocyparis vietnamensis ) humid forest, lithophytic and terrestrial ephemeroid herb, not common, 11 October 2019, L. Averyanov, Nguyen Sinh Khang, T. Maisak, VR 1575a (holotype LE: LE01076932 http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=43259; isotype LE: LE01076911 http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=45234; photo epitypes LE: LE01087472 http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=40437, LE01087473 http://en.herbariumle.ru/?t=occ&id=40438).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Begonia aspersa. A. Flowering cultivated plant. B. Inflorescences with staminate and pistillate flowers. C. Inflorescence, side view. D. Basal part of the plant with petioles and young inflorescences. E, F. Leaf blade, adaxial and abaxial surfaces. G. Distal part of petiole with sparse hairs. H. Intact staminate and pistillate flowers on individual inflorescence. I. Staminate flowers, front view. J. Androecium, side view. K–M. Pistillate flowers, side and front views. N, O. Styles, side and top views. P. Pistillate flower, side view. Q, R. Young fruit, side and top views. S, T. Cross sections of young fruit in apical (S) and basal part (T). U. Leaves and inflorescences prior to preparation of the holotype specimen. Averyanov, Nguyen Sinh Khang, Maisak, VR 1575a (holotype). Photos and design by L. Averyanov and T. Maisak.