Begonia baik

B. baik

Quick Species Info

Species	baik
Region	South East Asia
Country	Malaysia
Year published	2014
Date of Origin	2013
Plant Type	rhizomatous
Section	Petermannia
Chr 2n	(COUNT)

Species Information

Classification

Begonia baik belongs to the section Petermannia. It is a perennial rhizomatous plant.

Distribution

This species is endemic to southern Padawan, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Habitat

Begonia baik is found in semi-shaded locations on earth slopes or at the base of sandstone cliffs in dipterocarp forests, at an elevation of approximately 130 meters above sea level.

Characteristics

Begonia baik is a monoecious plant with creeping stems. The stem has a suberect upper part and can reach a length of 5 to 23 cm, with a thickness of 3.5 to 5.0 mm. The stem is pilose and brownish to reddish-brown.

The stipules are ovate-triangular, measuring approximately 1.7 to 2.0 cm in length and 0.8 cm in width. They are white to pinkish and herbaceous, with a keeled ridge and an entire margin. The apex of the stipules has an aristate structure with an arista that is about 5 mm long.

The leaves are alternate, simple, asymmetric, unlobed, and broadly ovate to reniform. They are basifixed, oblique, and have a well-developed basal lobe on one side, giving them a cordate appearance. The margin of the leaves is serrate, with each tooth tipped by a red hispid seta. The leaves are cuspidate or acute at the apex, measuring 7.0 to 11.5 cm in length (including basal lobes) and 5 to 8 cm in width. The broad side can be up to 5.5 cm wide. The base of the leaves is unequal, with basal lobes that are cordate and measure 2.0 to 3.3 cm in length. The adaxial surface of the leaves is maroon to dark malachite-green and velvet. The leaves are chartaceous, adaxially bullate between veins, and each bulla is tipped by upstanding hispid-seta. The hairs are magenta and curved, approximately 3 to 4 mm long, giving the lamina a rugose appearance. The abaxial surface of the leaves is red and glabrous, with sparse magenta hispid setae on veins. The venation is basally 8 to 11 palmate, with a distinguishable midrib and pinnate veins along the midrib. There are 2 to 3 major lateral veins on each side, with secondary veins branching dichotomously or nearly so. Tertiary veins are weakly percurrent.

The petioles are terete, measuring 1.5 to 2.5 cm in length in upper leaves and up to 7.5 cm in lower leaves. They are 2.5 to 4.0 mm thick, red to brownish, and pilose from white to reddish hairs.

Flower Details

In the inflorescences, there are both staminate and pistillate flowers. Staminate flowers have pedicels up to 9 mm long and glabrous or sparsely pilose tepals. The tepals are white, with entire margins and rounded apices. There are 4 tepals in total, with the outer 2 being broadly obovate and measuring 8 to 12 mm in length and 6 to 9 mm in width. The inner 2 tepals are narrowly ovate to narrowly obovate and are approximately 5.5 to 6.5 mm long and 2.5 to 3.0 mm wide. The androecium is symmetric, with around 25 stamens. The anthers are 2-locular, slightly compressed, oblong-obovoid, and yellow.

Pistillate flowers have pedicels measuring 5 to 10 mm in length, which can be glabrous to sparsely pilose. The ovary is trigonous-ellipsoid, measuring 7 to 9 mm in length and 4.5 to 5.0 mm in width (excluding wings). It is 3-locular with axile placentation and bifi d placenta in each locule. The flowers have 3 subequal wings, which are subrectangular and measure about 9 to 10 mm in length and 2.8 to 5.0 mm in width. The 5 tepals are white to pinkish, with entire margins and glabrous surfaces. The outer 2 tepals are oblong to obovate, measuring 8 to 10 mm in length and 5.5 to 7.0 mm in width. The inner 3 tepals are obovate, cuneate at the base, and obtuse or rounded at the apex. They measure 7 to 8 mm in length and 3 to 5 mm in width. There are 3 golden-yellow, bifid styles that are about 2.5 mm long and apically split and C-shaped. The stigmas are arranged in a spiral band and are papillose all around.

Etymology

The specific epithet "baik" is after Mr. Jui-Chin Hung, a plant enthusiast nicknamed 'budak baik' in Malay, which means 'good boy.' Mr. Hung accompanied the first author and discovered this new species. The epithet also highlights the attractive appearance of this new species.

Comparison to Similar Species

Begonia baik is somewhat similar to B. conipila.

References

ResearchGate

Photos

External Links

In Search Of Small Things