Begonia wollnyi Herzog

Moonlight, Peter. W., Jara-Muñoz, Orlando A., Purvis, David A., Delves, Jay, Allen, Josh P. & Reynel, Carlos, 2023, The genus Begonia (Begoniaceae) in Peru, European Journal of Taxonomy 881, pp. 1-334 : 221-224

55. Begonia wollnyi Herzog

Figs 65D , 70

Repertorium specierum novarum regni vegetabilis 7: 63 ( Herzog 1909).

– Type: BOLIVIA • Im Bergwald der Quebrada de Cuñucú (Cordillera de Sta. Cruz); ca 800 m a.s.l.; Oct. 1907; T.C.J. Herzog 86; lectotype: Z [ Z-000001867 ], designated here.

Smith & Wasshausen (1989: 68); Golding (1999: 49); Wasshausen et al. (2014: 386); Tebbitt et al. (2018a: 218).

Begonia parodiana L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub., Darwiniana 5: 88 ( Smith & Schubert 1941b) .

– Type: ARGENTINA – Prov. Salta • Dept. Oran, Cerros de río Ytau , 54 km west of Manuela Pedraza; [24°30′ S 65°00′ W]; 800 m a.s.l.; 29 Oct. 1939; W.J. Eyerdam & A.A. Beetle 22726; holotype: GH [ GH00068261 , photo US] ; isotypes: K, G [ G00034152 ].

Wasshausen et al. (2013: 385); Delfini (2017: 8); Tebbitt et al. (2018a: 218).

Begonia acrensis Irmsch., Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 74: 605 ( Irmscher 1949).

– Type: BRAZIL – Acre State • río Acre ; Jun. 1911; E. Ule 9649; lectotype: US [ US00115231 ], designated by Tebbitt et al. (2018a: 218); isolectotypes: G, K, U [ U0000724 ].

Golding (1999: 49).

Begonia williamsii Rusby & Nash nom. illeg.; later homonym non R.S. Williams , Torreya 6: 47 ( Rusby & Nash 1906).

– Type: BOLIVIA • San Buena Ventura; [14°27′ S, 67°33′ W]; 420 m a.s.l.; 14 Nov. 1901; R.S. Williams 600; lectotype: NY [ NY00118714 ], designated by Smith & Schubert (1944: 84) isolectotypes: BM [ BM000043984 ], K [ K000536789 ], US [ US00115497 ].

Nash (1916: 57); Smith & Schubert (1955: 114); Golding (1999: 49).

Etymology

Named for Walter Wollny, who was a German botanist and contemporary of Theodor Carl Julius Herzog, who described the species.

Specimens examined

PERU – Cusco Region: Prov. La Convención • Dist. Camisea, campamento San Martín-C , Camisea Production unit , west of camp; 11°47′08″ S, 72°41′57″ W; 467 m a.s.l.; 13 Jan. 1997; P. Acevedo R. 8682; CUZ, MO [ MO-1835960 ], NY, US [ US00594261 ], USM • Dist. Echarate, San Martín , 3 well site; 11°46.89′ S, 72°42.10′ W; 400 m a.s.l.; 15 Feb. 1997; P. Nuñez, S. Baldeón M., A. Alonso, J. Santisteban, G. Valencia, K. Anderson, J. Luton, J. Pacaya V. & F. Ramos R. 19107; USM.

Description

Caulescent herb, to 2 m high. Stem erect, becoming hardened at maturity and occasionally resembling a rhizome, rarely branching; internodes to 5 cm long, to 30 mm thick, succulent, pale brown, glabrous. Stipules persistent, oblong-ovate to triangular, 8–21 × 3–8 mm, apex acute, setose, opaque, pale green, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate. Leaves 3–8 per stem, alternate, basifixed or rarely peltate (never in Peru); petiole 5–16 cm long, green to red, glabrous; blade asymmetric, transversely broad-ovate to suborbicular, to 20 × 26 cm, succulent, apex acute to acuminate, base cordate, basal lobes not overlapping, sinus to 35 mm deep, margin with 4–7 regular triangular lobes spaced evenly around the margin, serrate, ciliate, upper surface green, sometimes flushed silver between the veins, sparsely pilose, lower surface pale green to purple, glabrous to pilose, veins palmate-pinnate, 4–6 veined from the base, with 2–4 secondary veins on the larger side, 1–3 secondary veins on the smaller side. Inflorescences 1–4 per stem, bisexual, axillary, erect, cymose, with up to 6 branches, bearing up to 16 staminate flowers and 16 pistillate flowers, protandrous; peduncle to 19 cm long, pale green to red, glabrous or minutely glandular pubescent, bracts deciduous, elliptic to oblong, 5–9 × 1.5–5 mm, opaque, green to white, minutely glandular pubescent, apex acute, margin entire, aciliate. Staminate flowers: pedicels to 14 mm long, glabrous; tepals 4, spreading, outer 2 broadly ovate, 5–13 × 7–10 mm, apex rounded, pale green, glabrous to minutely glandular pubescent, margin entire, aciliate, inner 2 elliptic, 5–7 × 2–3 mm, apex rounded, pale green, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; stamens 75–100, spreading, yellow, filaments 1.25–2 mm long, free, anthers obovoid, 0.5–0.75 × 0.3 mm, dehiscing via lateral slits, connectives not extended, symmetrically basifixed. Pistillate flowers: pedicels to 15 mm long; bracteoles 2 or lacking, directly beneath the ovary, elliptic, ca 3 × 1 mm, opaque, white, glabrous, apex acute, margin entire, aciliate; tepals 5, subequal, deciduous in fruit, spreading, elliptic to ovate, 5–9 × 2–6 mm, apex acute, pale green, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; ovary body ellipsoid, 4–10 × 3–7 mm, pale green flushed pink, glandular-pubescent, unequally 3-winged, wings semi-circular to triangular, largest 2–9 × 8–12 mm, smallest 1–7 × 8–21 mm; 3-locular, placentae branches divided, bearing ovules on both surfaces; styles 3, yellow, free, 3–3.5 mm long, once-divided, stigmatic papillae in a spirally twisted band. Fruiting pedicel to 30 mm long. Fruit body ovoid, to 11 × 8 mm, drying brown, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest expanding to 15 × 18 mm, the smallest expanding to 12 × 18 mm.

Proposed conservation assessment

Assessed by Tebbitt et al. (2018a) as Least Concern (LC).

Synonymy notes

The synonyms of B. wollnyi and the typification of B. acrensis Irmsch. and B. parodiana L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub. are discussed in detail in Tebbitt et al. (2018a).

Typification notes

The protologue of B. wollnyi does not cite an herbarium thus it is appropriate to designate a lectotype. Tebbitt et al. (2018a) treated a sheet of the type collection held in Z as a holotype and we are not aware of any other duplicates of this specimen. We designate this sheet as the lectotype collection herein. Tebbitt et al. (2018a) also attempted to designate a lectotype for B. williamsii Rusby & Nash. They chose R.S. Williams 600 (NY), unaware that this sheet had already been designated as the lectotype of this name. Smith & Schubert (1944) cited this sheet as the “type”, which prior to 2001 this was sufficient to be considered lectotypification. We therefore consider this the date of lectotypification.

Identification notes

Most similar to B. arrogans (see Identification notes for B. arrogans ). It is also possible to confuse B. wollnyi with B. acerifolia . Populations of B. acerifolia overlap with those of B. wollnyi in the south of Peru and Bolivia. Individuals in these populations of B. acerifolia almost always has peltate leaves, whereas those of B. wollnyi are basifixed. Furthermore, two of the three wings on the ovaries and fruits of B. acerifolia are reduced to ridges whereas those of B. wollnyi have three well-developed wings.

Distribution and ecology

Known from Peru, Venezuela, and Brazil, where it has a peri-Amazonian distribution. Within Peru, known from a single population in Cusco Region ( Fig. 65D ). Found in Amazonian forest at an altitude of 400–467 m a.s.l. Begonia wollnyi drops its leaves and usually flowers in the dry season.

The maynensis group of Begonia sect. Knesebeckia

The maynensis group of B. sect. Knesebeckia was revised and informally named by Moonlight et al. (2017b). It includes four species within B. sect. Knesebeckia that are distinguished by their simple, unlobed leaves that are clustered towards the apex of the stem and their conspicuous, relatively persistent stipules. This concept of the group is mostly Peruvian but includes species also found in Ecuador and Brazil. Recent phylogenetic evidence suggests that the maynensis group is monophyletic, though distantly related to the type species of B. sect. Knesebeckia ( Moonlight et al. 2018) . The group should not however be elevated to section without a full taxonomic revision and phylogeny covering all members of B. sect. Knesebeckia sensu Moonlight et al. (2018) .

Moonlight et al. (2017b) did not include three species then only known from Ecuador in the maynensis group: B. brandbygeana , B. oellgaardii L.B.Sm. & Wassh. , and B. sparreana L.B.Sm. & Wassh. These species differ from the maynensis group sensu stricto in their membranaceous leaves and in having non-glabrous leaves. In hindsight, these species should have been revised in Moonlight et al. (2017b) as they are almost certainly the group’s closest relatives. These species have not yet been included in any molecular phylogenies, so their placement remains uncertain. While B. brandbygeana is now recorded from Peru, we refrain from including it or the two Ecuadorian endemics in the maynensis group here because this is a floristic and not a sectional revision.

Figures

Fig. 65. Distribution of the acerifolia group of Begonia sect. Knesebeckia (Klotzsch) A.DC. in Peru and surrounding countries. A. B. acerifolia Kunth (red). B. B. arrogans Irmsch. (red) and B. ludwigii Irmsch. (blue). C. B. monadelpha (Ruiz ex Klotzsch) A.DC. (red) and B. serotina A.DC. (blue). D. B. huancabambae Moonlight sp. nov. (red) and B. wollnyi Herzog (blue). Black lines indicate country borders, grey lines indicate major administrative divisions, blue lines indicate rivers, and shading indicates elevation.

Fig. 70. Begonia wollnyi Herzog. 1. Habit. 2. Leaf. 3. Staminate flower, front view. 4. Androecium, side view. 5–7. Stamens, side view. 8. Pistillate flower, side view. 9. Cross section of ovary, side view. 10–11. Style, front and back view. 12. Cross section of ovary. Reproduction of an illustration of Begonia williamsii Rusby & Nash by an unknown artist reproduced from Nash (1916: pl. 29) at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.