Begonia benaratensis S. Julia 2013, spec. nov.
Creators: name: Sang, Julia
name: Kiew, Ruth
name: Geri, Connie
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Cucurbitales
Begoniaceae
Begonia
Begonia benaratensis

description: 2. Begonia benaratensis S.Julia, spec. nov. (Figure 4)   
 Sect. Petermannia   
 It is most similar to Begonia apiensis Kiew & S.Julia in its small, glabrous leaves with the lamina as broad as long, in its two main veins with a further two in the basal lobe, in its petiole more-or-less the length of lamina, and the entire margin but B. benaratensis is different from B. apiensis in its creeping habit, larger stipules ca. 5 × 3 mm (not ca. 3 × 2.5 mm), ovate or rounded lamina (not reniform), bigger bracts ca. 5 × 3 mm (not ca. 4 × 2 mm), much larger tepals in female flower 8–10 × 3–8 mm (not 2–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm), larger male flowers ca. 8 × 8 mm (not 4.5–5.5 × 4 mm), number of stamens 25–30 (not 15–20) and narrower fruits ca. 12 × 5 mm (not 10–18 × 6–19 mm).   
 Type: — MALAYSIA. Borneo. Sarawak. Marudi District: Gunung Mulu National Park, Gunung Benarat, 15 April 2012, Julia et al. SFC 2804 (holotype SAR!; isotypes E!, K!, KEP!, L!, SING!, SAR!).   
Creeping herb, rooting at nodes, sometimes branched. Whole plant glabrous. Stems red, ca. 2 mm diameter; internodes 2.5–5(–6.5) cm long. Stipules triangular, ca. 5 × 3 mm, margin entire, apex pointed, persistent. Leaves alternate, distant, straight or sometime pendent. Petioles: 2.5–5 cm, terete. Lamina matt plain green above, paler beneath, in life stiff and fleshy, oblique, reniform, (2–)3.5–4 × (3–) 3.5–5 cm, asymmetric, broad side (1.7–) 2.5–3 cm, base cordate but not overlapping, basal lobes 0.7–1 cm, margin slightly red, with very distant teeth at vein endings, apex acute; main veins palmate, 2 pairs with an additional 2 veins in basal lobe, branching about halfway to margin, slightly prominent on both surfaces. Inflorescences axillary from the upper leaf axils, red, erect, racemose, protogynous, 4–15 cm long with a single female flower below and many male flowers above. Bracts ovate, ca. 8 × 5 mm, margin entire, apex pointed, caducous. Uppermost bracts ovate, ca. 5 × 3 mm, margin entire, apex pointed, caducous. Male flower: pedicel red, 5–15 mm; tepals 2, white, glistening, rounded, ca. 8 × 8 mm, margin entire, apex rounded; stamens 25–30, cluster globose, stalked to 1 mm long; filament to 1 mm long; anthers yellow, oblong or obovate, 0.8–1 × 0.5 mm, apex emarginate. Female flower: pedicel ca. 5 mm long, red; ovary ca. 9 × 9 mm, wings 3, equal, locules 3, placental branches 2 per locule; tepals 5, pinkish, elliptic, 8–10 × 3–8 mm, margin entire, apex rounded; styles 3, ca. 2 mm length, bifurcating; stigma yellow, papillose forming a continuous twisted band. Fruits pendent; pedicel ca. 15 mm long, recurved; capsule reddish, elliptic, 9–14 × 7–11 mm, glabrous, locules 3, wings equal, slightly pointed distally, 2–3 mm wide, dehiscing between the wings and locules. Seeds: barrel-shaped, ca. 0.5 × 0.2 mm, collar cells half the seed length.  
 Distribution: — MALAYSIA. Borneo. Sarawak. Marudi District: Gunung Mulu National Park, Melinau limestone. Endemic on Gunung Benarat.   
 Habitat: —Slightly damp and lightly shaded vertical cliff faces, sometime on mossy surfaces at 128–300 m elevation.   
 Etymology: —The species named after Gunung Benarat, the only known locality for this species.   
 Additional specimen examined (paratype): — MALAYSIA. Borneo. Sarawak. Marudi District: Gunung Mulu National Park – Gunung Benarat, Baei et al. SFC 2835 (K, SAN, SAR).   
 Notes: —The species is most similar to B. apiensis but the habitat is completely different. It grows on lightly shaded mossy rock faces below 300 m compared with B. apiensis that is only found above 800 m. Found in localized patches, B. benaratensis sometimes grows together with B. rhodoneura that is more widespread.
description: Published as part of Sang, Julia, Kiew, Ruth & Geri, Connie, 2013, Revision of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from the Melinau Limestone in Gunung Mulu National Park and Gunung Buda National Park, Sarawak, Borneo, including thirteen new species, pp. 1-34 in Phytotaxa 99 (1) on pages 6-8, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.99.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5072471