Begonia anserina
Species Information[edit]
Classification and Distribution[edit]
Begonia anserina is a monoecious perennial begonia species endemic to Batang Ai, Sarawak, Borneo. It is relatively common locally and is typically found on soil slopes beside streams or ledges above steep slopes. It thrives in both dark and light shady dipterocarp forests at elevations ranging from approximately 100 to 250 meters.
Characteristics[edit]
- Stem: Erect, sympodially branched, 30–100 cm long, 5–10 mm across. Young stems are densely appressed red-hairy, later becoming glabrescent. Internodes are 1.5–8 cm long and brownish. - Stipules: Persistent, greenish, ovate-triangular, acuminate at the tip, ca. 9 mm long, 3 mm wide. Short appressed hairy, keeled, with an entire margin. - Petioles: Terete, 6–8 mm long, 2–2.5 mm thick, brownish, appressed hairy.
Leaf Details[edit]
Leaves are numerous, appearing sub-opposite, simple, asymmetric, and obliquely elliptic-oblanceolate. They are basifixed, measure 11–15.5 cm in length and 4–6.5 cm in width, with the broad side measuring 2.3–3.5 cm. The margin is minutely denticulate on the upper half and entire in the lower half. The apex is shortly caudate. Adaxially, leaves are dark green, while abaxially, they are pale and succulent. Veins are somewhat prominent, and adaxially they are subglabrous, while abaxially they have dense, purplish-red, appressed hairs on veins. Venation is pinnate, with a distinguishable midrib and 4–5 secondary veins on each side, branching dichotomously on the upper part.
Flower Details[edit]
- Super inflorescence: A terminal, bisexual, cymose panicle measuring 3–9 mm long, much shorter than the leaves. It is appressed hairy, with peduncles measuring 1–4 mm long. - Staminate flowers: Very congested, with pedicels measuring 3–4 mm long and appressed purple-red hairy. Tepals are 2, white, ovate to suborbicular, measuring 4–6 mm long and 3.5–4.8 mm wide, with a glabrous adaxial surface and puberulent abaxial surface. There are approximately 18 stamens with slightly fused filaments. - Pistillate flowers: Singular, subsessile at the base of the super inflorescence, with pedicels measuring approximately 4 mm long and purple-red puberulent. The ovary body is trigonous-ellipsoid, approximately 8 mm long and 3.5 mm across, with 3-winged wings that are right-triangular, subequal, and measure approximately 9 mm long and 5 mm tall. The wings are sparingly puberulent and minutely denticulate on the upper margins. The ovary is 3-locular with bilamellate placentae. Tepals include 5 outer ones that are white, oblong to ovate-oblong (6–8 mm long and 2–3 mm wide), and have a glabrous upper surface and purple-red puberulent lower surface. There are also 3 inner tepals that are white, oblong to ovate-oblong (8–12 mm long and 4–5 mm wide), glabrous on both surfaces, and purple-red puberulent. The styles are 3, golden yellow, bifid, measuring 2.5–3 mm long, and the stigmas form a spiral band that is papillose all around.
Fruit Details[edit]
The fruit is a capsule on a stalk measuring 9–11 mm long and 12–14 mm wide (including wings). It is puberulous, with 3 subequal wings that are truncate distally and measure approximately 5 mm wide. The wings are rounded or narrowed proximally.
Etymology[edit]
The epithet "anserina" refers to the resemblance of the many pairs of pseudo-opposite leaves in the new species to a flock of flying geese.
Notes[edit]
Begonia anserina shares some similarities with B. pleioclada Irmsch. but can be distinguished by its erect and more robust growth. It is taller (30–100 cm) and has much larger leaves (11–15.5 cm long and 4–6.5 cm wide) compared to B. pleioclada (15–25 cm tall with leaves measuring 5.5–10 cm long and 2–3 cm wide). The new species was sometimes found to co-occur with B. amidalae or B. darthvaderiana.
References[edit]
Care[edit]
Photos[edit]
No additional photos are provided.
External Links[edit]
No external links are provided.
