The genus Begonia (Begoniaceae) in Peru
Author
Moonlight, Peter. W.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20 A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH 3 5 LR, Scotland, UK. & Botany Department, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
moonligp@tcd.ie
Author
Jara-Muñoz, Orlando A.
Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D. C., Colombia.
oajaram@unal.edu.co
Author
Purvis, David A.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20 A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH 3 5 LR, Scotland, UK.
dpurvis@rbge.org.uk
Author
Delves, Jay
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20 A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH 3 5 LR, Scotland, UK.
j.delves@westernsydney.edu.au
Author
Allen, Josh P.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20 A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH 3 5 LR, Scotland, UK.
myrmeciaman@gmail.com
Author
Reynel, Carlos
Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional Agraria-La Molina, Lima 12, Peru.
reynel@lamolina.edu.pe
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2023
2023-07-18
881
1
334
http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2023.881.2175
journal article
https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2023.881.2175
2118-9773
8178280
Begonia anemonoides
Haenke
Voyages dans l’Amérique Méridionale depuis 1781-1801
2: 503 (
Haenke 1809
).
–
Type
: unknown.
Notes
This species was described as abundant in the Andes Mountains of “Peruvia”. At the turn of the 19
th
Century “Peruvia” referred to the Viceroyalty of
Peru
including much of modern-day
Ecuador
,
Peru
,
Bolivia
and
Chile
. It remains very unclear where Haenke encountered this species. Furthermore, no
type
material of the species was cited in the protologue, but it is possible that some original material remains undiscovered among the specimens housed in PR herbarium. The protologue describes the species as tuberous with flowers resembling those of an
Anemone
, and while this is not sufficient for identification it seems likely that this refers to a member of the octopetala group of
B.
sect.
Eupetalum
(
Tebbitt 2015
)
. The only member of the octopetala group described before 1809 was
B. octopetala
so
B. anemonoides
Haenke
may be an earlier name for any other species in this group. The discovery of original material and lectotypification of
B. anemonoides
should be a priority for any future work on Peruvian or tuberous Andean
Begonia
, and if this is not possible the name should be rejected.