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Species

B. calciphila

Photos

2 photos

Identity

Genus
Begonia
Name
B. calciphila
Author
C.-I Peng
Publication Date
2015
Place
Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam;
Habitat
Endemic to limestone karst areas at elev. 320–400 m. It grows on steep rocky slope surface or rock crevices in semishaded or shady broad-leaved forest.
Country
Vietnam
Region
Asia
Section
Coelocentrum
Chr 2n
30
Plant Type
Trailing-Scandent
Synonyms and Comments
Etymology: grows on limestone
Reference
Phytotaxa 222 (2):83-99, 2015, C.-I Peng, H.A.Yang, Y.Kono, M.J.Jung & T.H.Nguyen
Article References
Hughes M. et al., Asian Begonia 47, 2018
Photo References
Hughes M. et al., Asian Begonia 47, 2018

Plant

Description
Herbs perennial, monoecious, lithophytic. Rhizomes creeping, to 30 cm or longer, internodes 1.5–4.5 cm long, 6–8 mm across, reddish or whitish hirsute, hairs 3–3.5 mm long, glabrescent. Stipules ovate, 7–12 mm long, 4–7 mm wide, apex caudate, margin entire, abaxially hirsute, hairs 1.5–3.5 mm long. Leaves alternate; petiole brownish, 2–7 cm long, villous, hairs 3.5–4 mm long, brownish or reddish; leaf blade orbicular-ovate to ovate, apex acute, base obliquely cordate, 7–10.5 cm long, 5.5–8.5 cm wide, margin undulate, densely ciliate; primary veins 6–8, palmate, veinlets reticulate; adaxially sparsely or densely scabrous, trichomes ca. 1.5 mm long; abaxial surface reddish-hirsute on veins, trichomes multicellular, ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, with 2–5 flowers in dichasial cymes, peducle tinged reddish, ca. 8 cm long, glabrous; pedicel 8–9 mm long, glabrous. Bracts ovate, margin sparingly reddish ciliate, 3.5–4 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide. Staminate flower: tepals 4, outer 2 orbicular-ovate to ovate, margin entire, white or tinged pinkish, 9–15 mm long, 9–13 mm wide, abaxially sparsely reddish-hirtellous; inner 2 oblanceolate, white, 11–13 mm long, 3.5–4 mm wide; androecium zygomorphic, stamens 20–25, yellow, filaments 0.8–1 mm long, anthers ca. 1.5–1.7 mm long. Carpellate flower: tepals 3, glabrous, outer 2 orbicular or suborbicular, tinged pinkish, 12–14 mm long, 12–13 mm wide, margin entire; inner 1 oblanceolate, 8–10 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, white; ovary trigonous-ellipsoid, pinkish, 7–8 mm long, 4–5 mm across, glabrous, 3-winged, abaxial wing crescent-shaped, 3–5 mm tall, lateral wings 2–3 mm tall; styles 3, ca. 4 mm long, fused to 1/3 at base, bifurcating with yellow stigma forming a continuous U-shaped papillose band. Capsule trigonous-ellipsoid, 7–8 mm long, 4–5 mm across, abaxial wing crescent-shaped to elliptic, 8–9 mm tall, lateral wings crescent shaped, 3–4 mm tall. Seeds many, ellipsoid, truncate at both ends, brownish, 0.4–0.5 mm long, 0.2–0.25 mm thick. Begonia calciphila shares the long creeping habit with B. auritistipula Y.M. Shui & W.H. Chen (2005: 357), a calciphyte in southwestern Guangxi, China. The new species however differs from the latter in the petioles 2–10 cm long (vs. 9–22 cm); leaves orbicular-ovate with an acuminate apex (vs. ovate with an acute apex); leaf adaxial surface scabrous (vs. rugose and setulose); stipules villous (vs. glabrous); and petioles villous (vs. retrorsely hirsute)
Plant Habit
Creeping

Lineage

Parents

No parentage recorded.

Etymology: grows on limestone

Descendants

No recorded descendants.

Culture

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