Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 March 2021 | 13(3): 18050–18053
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6709.13.3.18050-18053
#6709 | Received 13 September 2020 | Final
received 16 November 2020 | Finally accepted 17 March 2021
Begonia flaviflora
Hara (Begoniaceae): a new
record to the flora of Bhutan
Phub Gyeltshen
1, Sherab Jamtsho
2, Sangay Wangchuk 3 & Dhan Bahadur Subba 4
1 Bumthang Forest Division, Department of
Forest and Park Services, Trongsa, Nubi-33001, Bhutan.
2,4 Zhemagng Forest Division, Department of
Forest Park Services, Zhemgang, Shingkhar-3400, Bhutan.
3 Royal Botanical Park, Department
of Forest Park Services, Thimphu, Bhutan.
1 gyeltshenforest@gmail.com (corresponding
author), 2 sherabjamtsho85@gmail.com, 3 gensanwanchu@gmail.com,
4 dhans1302@gmail.com
Editor: Anonymity
requested. Date of publication:
26 March 2021 (online & print)
Citation: Gyeltshen,
P., S. Jamtsho, S. Wangchuk & D.B. Subba (2021). Begonia flaviflora Hara (Begoniaceae): a new
record to the flora of Bhutan. Journal of Threatened Taxa 13(3): 18050–18053. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6709.13.3.18050-18053
Copyright: © Gyeltshen
et al. 2021. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Self funded.
Competing interests: The authors
declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: Authors would like to express
sincere gratitude to the director general of Department of Forest and Park
Services, chief forestry officer of Zhemgang Forest
Division, and staff for their constant motivation and encouragement.
The genus Begonia L. (Begoniaceae) is one of the largest genera of angiosperm in
the world, estimated to comprise up to approximately 2,500 species (Tian et al.
2018), of which about 1991 are currently accepted species (Hughes et al. 2015),
currently divided into 70 sections and distributed mostly in the tropical and
subtropical zones in the world (Doorenbos et al.
1998; Moonlight et al. 2018). In Asia,
around 959 species in 19 sections have been recorded with maximum occurances in southeastern Asia (Shui et al. 2002; Moonlight et al. 2018). Begonia sect. Platycentrum
(Klotzsch) A. DC. is the largest section with 16
species in northeastern India (Camfield & Hughes
2018). Grierson (1991) described 20
species of Begonias in the Flora of Bhutan, of which only 13 species are
recorded from Bhutan. No further study
has been conducted on the genus in Bhutan since Grierson (1991) and the
occurrence of remaning seven species including B. flaviflora are unknown.
During recent botanical
exploration in Zhemgang District in August 2020,
specimens of an interesting Begonia species were collected from the cool
broadleaved forest. After substantial
study on its morphological characteristics and reviewing the taxonomic literature
(Clarke 1879; Hara 1970; Grierson 1991; Tsuechih et
al. 1999; Hughes et al. 2015; Camfield & Hughes 2018), and consultation of
herbarium specimens available at Global Biodiversity Information
Facility (https://www.gbif.org/), and Kew Science (https:/specimens.kew.org/)
including the type specimens, it was identified as B. flaviflora
Hara, a new record to Bhutan. The
addition of one species from the current study confirms 14 species of Begonia
from Bhutan and more are likely to be found and confirmed with further
exploration. Detailed morphological
description, phenology, ecology, distribution and notes along with photographs
are provided. The voucher specimens are
deposited at the National Herbarium (THIM!), National Biodiversity Centre, Thimphu, Bhutan.
Begonia flaviflora H. Hara
J. Jap. Bot. 45: 91. 1970. A.J.C.
Grierson In: Grierson & Long. Fl. Bhutan 2(1): 245–246 (1991); K. Tsuechih, C.-I Peng & N.J. Turland.
Fl. China 52(1): 174 (1999).
Begonia laciniata
subsp. flaviflora Irmsch.Mitt.
Inst. Allg. Bot. Hamburg. 10: 531. 1939.
Type: India, Sikkim, Darjeeling,
5 July 1969, Hara, Kurosawa & Ohashi 69218 (holotype: TI n.v.; isotype: BM000839167).
Begonia flaviflora
var. gamblei (Irmsch.)
Golding & Kareg. Phytologia
54: 496. 1984. Begonia gamblei (Irmsch.) F.A. Barkley & Golding Sp. Begon.
Ed. 2: 44. 1974. Begonia laciniata subsp. gamblei Irmsch.
Mitt. Inst. Allg. Bot. Hamburg. 10: 531. 1939. Begonia
flaviflora var. gamblei
H. Hara. Fl. E. Himalaya 1: 215. 1966. Begonia flaviflora var. vivida
Golding & Kareg.Phytologia 54: 496. 1984
Plant monoecious, herbaceous,
30–80 cm tall. Rhizome oblong, 6–12 ×
1–3 cm with several offsets giving rise to new shoots, adventitious roots
growing from the rhizome. Stem erect, 20–40
cm long, with sparsely brownish pubescent, lowermost internodes 10–22 cm long
and 6–7 mm wide, unbranching, 2–4 leaves per stem. Stipule persistent, ovate, 10–15 × 3–5 mm,
papery, keeled, apex cuspidate (1–4 mm), margin entire. Leaves alternate; petiole cylindrical, 4–28
cm long, 3–8 mm thick, green, brownish pubescent surface; blade asymmetric,
ovate to broadly ovate 10–20 × 8–23 cm, basifixed, apex acute to acuminate or
shortly caudate, base deeply cordate, margin shallowly lobed and ciliate, venation
palmate-reticulate, 7–8 veined; adaxial surface green or dark green with minute
appressed white hairs, hairs less than 0.2mm long; abaxial surface glabrous, sparsely brownish pubescent on veins, green with
purplish colour along the veins and towards the margin. Inflorescences cymose,
1–2, terminal or axillary on long stem with 1–2 internodes, 2–4 flowers per
peduncle, erect; peduncles cylindrical, 8–15 cm long, 2–3 mm wide, green to
red, brownish pubescent. Floral bracts narrowly ovate, 2–3.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm,
pinkish, glabrous, margin entire, base and apex
truncate, adaxial surface is wrinkled and covered with soft hairs, veins
numerous, decduous.
Staminate flower: pedicel up to 3cm long, pale
red to pale greenish-yellow, brownish pubescent; tepals 4, golden yellow, glabrous, margin entire; outer 2, deltoid, 15–19 × 12–16
mm, cucullate, upper tepal’s apex prominently recurved, lower tepal’s apex
slightly recurved, base truncate, 10–12 veined; inner 2, ovate-elliptic, 12–14
× 7–9 mm, cucullate, apex rounded to sub-acute, base slightly oblique-truncate,
9–11 veined; stamens numerous, 2–3 mm long, filaments free, anther
obovate-oblong, golden yellow.
Pistillate flower: pedicel up to 3 cm long, pale yellowish-green, light
pinkish-green, brownish pubescent; tepals 5, unequal, golden yellow, glabrous, margin entire to slightly wavy; outer 2, ovate,
7–11 × 5–7 mm, concave, apex acute, base truncate, 12–13 veined; inner 3, ovate
to ovate-elliptic, 17.5–19 × 14–16 cm, concave, apex acute to subacute, base
truncate; ovary yellowish-green, glabrous, with three
unequal wings, 2 locules, placentation axillary, two
branches per locule; styles 2, Y-shaped, 3–3.5 mm
long, fused at base,golden yellow; stigma spiraled, papillose all around. Capsule trigonous-globose,
7–11 × 6–8 mm, yellowish-green; longest wing obovoid-oblong, 1.5–1.7 × 1.5–1.7
cm, slightly falcate at apex, crenate, narrow towards base, lateral wings
1.6–2.2 × 0.4–0.6 cm, tuberculate on surface of the ovary including its wings. Seeds numerous, white when young, oblong, c.
0.2–0.3 × c. 0.2 mm.
Specimens examined: THIM15583, 10
August 2019, Shingkhar, Zhemgang,
Bhutan, 27.1520N, 90.8750E, 1,914–2,399 m, P. Gyeltshen & S. Sherab
012–013.
Phenology:
Flowering and fruiting July to August
Habitat and ecology: This species
prefers moist soil in shady areas in broadleaved at forest at 1,900–2,400 m
elevation. Associated species includes Pouzolzia hirta (Blume)
Hassk., Pilea scripta (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don)
Wedd., Streptolirion volubile
Edgew., Swertia bimaculata bimaculata Hook.f. & Thomson ex C.B.Clarke,
Carpesium nepalense
Less., Rubus calycinus
Wall., Dichroa febrifuga
Lour. and Impatiens pseudolaevigata Gogoi, B.B.T.Tham & Lidén.
Distribution: India, China, Mayanmar, Nepal, Malaysia, and new to Bhutan.
Notes: The new species is vegetatively similar to Begonia palmata
but can be distinguished by yellow flower, smaller capsule and wings of the
fruit. The key morphological differences
between B. flaviflora and its closely related taxon B. palmata is
presented in Table 1 using the descriptions (Grierson 1991; Camfield &
Hughes 2018). The current distribution
site is located within Biological Corridor–4 of the district with population
less than 10 individuals and no threats have been observed in the field.
Table 1. Comparison of key morphological
characters of Begonia flaviflora and B.
palmata.
Attributes |
B. flaviflora |
B. palmata |
Habit |
erect, 30–80 cm tall |
erect, 45–100 cm tall |
Rhizome |
10–30 mm wide |
5–15 mm wide |
Stem |
6–7 mm wide, brownish pubescent |
5–15 mm wide, sparsely to
densely tomentose to villose |
Stipule |
ovate, 3–5 mm wide |
lanceolate , 3–10 mm wide |
Petiole |
4–28 cm long, brownish
pubescent |
1.5–19 cm long, densely tomentose to sparsely puberulous |
Lamina |
ovate to broadly ovate, 10–20 x
8–23 cm, base deeply cordate |
narrowly to broadly ovate, 5–20
x 2–20 cm, base truncate, or base cordate to shallowly cordate |
Abaxial surface |
glabrous, brownish
pubescent on veins |
pubescent to pilose throughout
or denser on veins |
Bract |
narrowly ovate, 20–35 x 15–25
mm |
lanceolate or sub-orbicular or |
Staminate flower |
tepals 4, golden yellow |
tepals 4, white to pink |
Pistillate flower |
tepals 5, unequal, golden
yellow |
tepals 5, equal, white to pale
pink |
Style |
2 or 3 |
2 |
Capsule |
trigonous-globose, 7–11 mm
long, longest wing obovoid-oblong, 15–17 mm long |
oblong-ellipsoid, 7–18 mm long,
longest wing triangular to rounded oblong, 9–20 mm long |
For
figure & image - - click here
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