A revision and one new species of Begonia L. (Begoniaceae, Cucurbitales) in Northeast India Author Camfield, Rebecca Author Hughes, Mark text European Journal of Taxonomy 2018 2018-01-19 396 1 116 journal article 22365 10.5852/ejt.2018.396 2b95a851-e1bf-4bdd-9cce-441ddc4135d2 3787049 Begonia hatacoa var. meisneri (C.B.Clarke) Golding Phytologia 40: 19 ( Golding 1978 ) . – Begonia rubrovenia var. meisneri C.B.Clarke, The Flora of British India 2: 645 ( Clarke 1879 ). – Type : India , Meghalaya , Sillet Hills, Gomez s.n., Wallich Cat. No. 6294 (lecto-: K-W, barcode K000542891, here designated). Begonia meisneri Wall., A numerical list of dried specimens of plants in the East India Company’s Museum : 213, 6294 ( Wallich 1831 ) , nom. nud. Other material examined INDIA : Meghalaya : Jaintia Hills, Jaintiapur, 26 Oct. 1946 , Ward 16046 ( BM , E ); Khasia, 23 Oct. 1871 , Clarke 15869 ( K ). Description Plant ca 10 cm high. Stem: 2–4 mm wide when dry, internodes 0.5–3 cm long. Stipules: 5–7 mm long. Leaves: petiole 1–4 cm long, densely pubescent; lamina symmetric, upper surface dark green, underside red, dense red tomentose on veins only; margin shallow wide dentate. Inflorescence: bracts 2–5 × 2 mm . Fruit: capsule 7–9 × 3 mm . Distribution and phenology Endemic to the Sillet and Jaintia Hills; 450–1150 m . Flowering: July to August; fruiting: July to October. Remarks This variety is characterized by small linear leaves with broadly spaced dentitions. The specimen Clarke 15869 cited in the protologue was located at Kew with a label that reads ‘halfway to B. meisneri’ . The leaves when dried can look metallic blue on the underside. Ward 16046 (BM) is a good representative specimen of this variety. Kumaria et al. (2012) report B. hatacoa var. meisneri in cultivation, however, the photograph shows a plant likely to be B. palmata .