| Original Botanical Description or Link to | Begonia larvata C.I Peng, Yan Liu & W.B.Xu, sp.
nov. (Sect. Coelocentrum) 果子狸秋海棠 (Figs. 5 and 6).
Type: CHINA. Guangxi, Chongzuo City, Jiangzhou
District, Zuozhou Town, Guanghe Village, Pairu Tun,
elev. ca. 100 m, 15 June 2014, Peng et al. 24372 with Weibin Xu (holotype: IBK; isotype: HAST-138465).
Monoecious rhizomatous herb. Rhizomes stout,
creeping, to 15 cm or longer, 10–18 mm thick, internodes 5–10 mm long, glabrous but villous at the base
of petiole. Stipules persistent, yellowish green with red
veins, triangular-ovate, 8–15 mm long, 7–12 mm wide,
strongly keeled, glabrous, margin entire, apex aristate,
arista ca. 4 mm long. Leaves alternate; petiole terete,
reddish, (9−)14−22 cm long, 4–6 mm thick, densely
white villous; leaf blade asymmetric, oblique, ovate to
widely ovate, 13−22 cm long, 9–16 cm wide, broad
side 5–10 cm wide, basal lobes cordate, 3.8–7 cm long,
apex acuminate, margin denticulate and densely puberulous, hairs white or pale magenta; leaf thick chartaceous,
adaxially deep olive-green to dark viridian, emerald to
lime green zone and embellish with crushing silvery
white spots along primary and secondary veins, midrib
veins forming a widely silvery white zone; surface densely
small raised cones topped, a top by a hair, hair white to
magenta, give a wrinkled texture; abaxially pale green,
purplish red between primary and secondary veins,
pilose on all veins; venation basally ca. 7 palmate, midrib distinct, ca. 3 secondary veins on each side, tertiary
veins reddish, lateral through connection between with
other basal veins, minor veins reticulate. Inforescences
axillary, dichasial cymes or difusely thyrsoid, arising directly from rhizome, branched 5–8 times; peduncle
crimson, 17–32 cm long, glabrous; bracts usually persistent, pale yellow-green with reddish veins, orbicular to
widely ovate, frst pair ca. 8 mm across, glabrous, margin
entire with sessile glands, bracts of upper inforescence
similar but smaller. Staminate fower: pedicel 0.8–3 cm
long, glabrous, tepals 4 (sometimes 2), glabrous, outer 2
very widely ovate to orbicular, 5–10 mm long, 8–12 mm
wide, yellowish green with red veins, sometimes reddish toward the base, inner 2 obovate, yellowish green,
ca. 4 mm long, 2 mm wide; androecium actinomorphic, 3.5–6 mm across; stamens golden yellow, 65–80;
flaments fused at base; anthers obovate, ca. 1 mm long,
2-locular, apex truncate or retuse, more or less equal at
flaments. Pistillate fower: pedicel 1–2.3 cm long, glabrous, tepals 3 (sometimes 2), glabrous, outer 2 suborbicular or broadly ovate, yellowish green with red veins,
7–10 mm long, 8–11 mm wide, inner 1 obovate, yellowish
green, ca. 3 mm long, 2 mm wide; ovary trigonous-ellipsoid, 7–11 mm long, 3.5–5 mm thick (wings excluded),
yellow-green, redness, sparsely glands; 3-winged, wings
unequal, yellowish green with red veins, sparsely glands,
lateral wings narrower, narrowly crescent-shaped to trapezium, 2–3 mm high, abaxial wing crescent-shaped, ca.
4 mm high, margin entire; styles 3, fused at base, golden
yellow, ca. 3.5 mm long, stigma spirally twisted. Capsule:
tepals persistent; capsule trigonous-ellipsoid, 8–14 mm
long, 4–5 mm thick (wings excluded), greenish or reddish
when fresh; wings unequal, lateral wings ca. 4 mm high,
abaxial wing crescent-shaped, ca. 5 mm high.
Distribution and ecology
Begonia larvata is only known from the Zuozhou Town,
Jiangzhou District, Chongzuo City, Guangxi, growing on
semi-shaded limestone clif surfaces or steep slopes, at
125–165 m in elevation.
Etymology
Te species epithet ‘larvata’ (masked), refers to the leaf
variegation that resembles the facial mark of masked
palm civet (Paguma larvata). |
