Discovering a new speices of Begonia from Phu Tho Province, Vietnam

24/10/2022
While investigating the diversity of the genus Begonia for the flora of Vietnam, scientists from Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Institute of Genome Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, Vietnam, Kunming Institute of Botany, China, and M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, discovered and described a new Begonia species from Xuan Son National Park, Phu Tho province, Vietnam, namely Begonia xuansonensis T.V.Do, Nuraliev & Y.M.Shui.

The new species is characterized by reddish-orange to orange tepals, which is a rare type of flower coloration in Asian species of the genus. Begonia xuansonensis is most similar to B. lowiana, but differs from the latter by stipules 4–6 × 1.5–2 mm, orange tepals and ovary, and abaxially densely red setose inner tepals of staminate and pistillate flowers. The new species also shows similarity with B. cathayana, differing in stipules 4–6 mm long, uniformly dark green adaxial side of leaf blade, abaxially densely red setose inner tepals of a staminate flower and three styles in a pistillate flower. Begonia xuansonensis is tentatively assigned to B. sect. Platycentrum on the basis of actinomorphic androecium, apically rounded anthers and fruit with three unequal wings.

These result was published on Phytotaxa 510(3) 251-262 (2021).

Morphology of Begonia xuansonensis (Photo by Maxim S.N.)

Source: Do Van Truong, Vietnam National Museum of Nature, VAST
Link to Vietnamese version



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