Two new species of Begonia (section Petermannia, Begoniaceae) from the Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines, and a redescription of Begonia parvilimba
Author
Mazo, Kean Roe F.
0000-0002-5131-9084
Forest Biological Sciences Department, College of Forestry and Environmental Science, Central Mindanao University, Bukidnon, 8714, Philippines. & keanmaze @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 5131 - 9084
keanmaze@gmail.com
Author
Rubite, Rosario R.
0000-0002-1704-1533
Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila, Padre Faura, Manila, Philippines & rrrubite @ up. edu. ph; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 1704 - 1533
rrrubite@up.edu.ph
text
Phytotaxa
2022
2022-03-07
538
2
163
171
journal article
20283
10.11646/phytotaxa.538.2.9
ab326425-fd43-4091-92a8-a63e7c40c121
1179-3163
6333742
3.
Begonia parvilimba
Merr.
in PJS 26, 1925: 481
. §
Petermannia
(
Fig. 4
)
Type:—
PHILIPPINES
.
Mindanao
,
Zamboanga del Sur
,
Malangas
(now part of
Zamboanga Sibugay
),
October
/
November 1919
,
BS 36936
Ramos
&
Edaño
(
lectotype
US
, here designated)
.
Herb
monoecious, perennial, terrestrial, up to
20 cm
tall.
Stem
unbranched, erect and arching,
3–5 mm
in diameter, reddish maroon or green, sparsely strigose, with prominent leaf scars, internodes 1.0–
1.7 cm
long.
Stipules
deciduous, light green to pinkish, asymmetric, oblique, ovate, 11–13 ×
4–6 mm
, keeled, sparsely pilose, margin ciliate, apex cuspidate.
Leaves
alternate; petiole terete, 2–3 ×1.5–2.0 mm, reddish-brown, strigose; lamina oblanceolate, 5–7 ×
3–4 cm
, base cordate, margin serrate, sinuate, undulate, on the upper third abruptly narrows into an acute apex; adaxially verrucose with gray spots, each spot with very short erect hair, olivaceous, dark green; abaxially puberulent, maroon, hirsute on midrib and veins; secondary veins 3–5 pairs.
Inflorescence
axillary, few-flowered, 1 or 2.
Staminate flower
bracteoles persistent, narrowly ovate, 5–8 ×
2–3 mm
, green, sparsely puberulous, margin ciliate, apex caudate; pedicel
11–13 mm
long, white, puberulent; tepals 4, white suffused with pink; outer tepals suborbicular, 8–10 ×
6–8 mm
, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely puberulent or glabrous, apex obtusely rounded; inner tepals linear, 6–7 ×
1–2 mm
, glabrous, apex acute; androecium actinomorphic, stamens 20–30, filaments
0.5–0.7 mm
, fused at base; anthers obovoid,
1.3–1.5 mm
, apex retuse.
Pistillate flower
bracteoles persistent, narrowly ovate, 5.5–8.0 ×
2–3 mm
, green, sparsely puberulous, margin ciliate, apex caudate; pedicel 1.5–3.0 mm long, white, puberulent; tepals 5, white suffused with pink, lanceolate, 6.5–7.3 × 2.0–
4.6 mm
, glabrous, apex obtuse to rounded; style 3, yellow, apically bifid,
2.5–2.8 mm
long, stigmas in spiral band and papillose all around; ovary trigonous-ellipsoid, pinkish-white or light green, 4–5 ×
5–6 mm
(wings excluded), puberulous; wings 3, equal, same color with the ovary, locules 3, placenta bilamellate.
Capsule
trigonous-elliptic, 6–7 × 7.5–8.0 mm (wings included); pedicel 3.5–4.0 mm long; wings 3, equal, truncate distally, rounded proximally, 5.0–
6.5 mm
long, 4.0–
4.6 mm
wide.
Phenology:—
Observed flowering and fruiting between February to November.
Distribution and Habitat:—
Begonia parvilimba
is endemic to
Zamboanga
Peninsula, Mindanao, where it is currently known in the provinces of
Zamboanga Sibugay
and
Zamboanga del Norte
(
Fig. 1
). The plant grows on a semi-shaded environment near waterfalls at
592 m
elevation.
Notes:—
The
type
specimen of
Begonia parvilimba
was collected in Malangas,
Zamboanga Sibugay
in 1925.
Merrill (1925)
noted that the
B. parvilimba
closely resembles
B. mindanensis
but significantly differs in having smaller leaves and capsules.
Additional specimen examined:
Begonia parvilimba
Merr.
—
PHILIPPINES
.
Mindanao
,
Zamboanga del Norte Province
,
Municipality of Leon
B.
Postigo
,
Brgy.Tinuyop
,
Ekam River
,
elevation
592 m
,
8° 2’59.23”N
,
122°56’24.42”E
,
9 February 2021
,
K
.
R
.F.
Mazo
9
(
CMUH
)
.
Proposed Conservation Status:—
Begonia parvilimba
is currently known from two localities in
Zamboanga
Peninsula. The
type
locality is now part of the populated, site of coal mining municipality of
Malangas. The area
with the recently found record for the species at the
Ekam River
is an inhabited, previously kaingin area and now covered with invasive species
Piper aduncum
L
.,
in addition the nearby
Ekam
waterfalls is frequently visited by tourists.
Here
, only one population with two individuals were observed.
After
16 months of fieldwork with 5 or 6 times/month site visits, no additional populations nor individuals were found.
The area
is not currently protected under the country’s
National Integrated Protected Areas System
by the
Department of Environment
and Natural Resources. Given the ongoing habitat change and the small number of <50 mature individuals, it is prudent to provisionally assess this species as
Critically Endangered
CR
D.