Begonia chemillenensis Moonlight
Creators: name: Moonlight, Peter. W.
name: Jara-Muñoz, Orlando A.
name: Purvis, David A.
name: Delves, Jay
name: Allen, Josh P.
name: Reynel, Carlos
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Cucurbitales
Begoniaceae
Begonia
Begonia chemillenensis

description: 57. Begonia chemillenensis Moonlight
Figs 71A, 73
Edinburgh Journal of Botany 74 (2): 185 (Moonlight et al. 2017b).
– Type: PERU – Pasco Region: Prov. Oxapampa • Dist. Palcazú, CC NN, Loma Linda; 10°22′ S, 75°04′ W; 430 m a.s.l.; 15 Jun. 2010; R. Vásquez, M. Huaman & R. Rivera 36606; holotype: HOXA; isotypes: E [E00912779], MO [MO-2080522], USM.
Etymology
Named for the Chemillén cordillera at the centre of the species’ range.
Selected specimens examined
PERU – Huánuco Region: Prov. Puerto Inca • Dist. Codo de Pozuzo, Route from Pozuzo to Codo de Pozuzo, ca 3.5 km from Puente Paujil; 9°56′50″ S, 75°31′16″ W; 633 m a.s.l.; 20 Feb. 2016; P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 283; E [E00833921], MOL. – Pasco Region: Prov. Oxapampa • Dist. Pozuzo, Route from Pozuzo to Codo de Pozuzo; 10°01′05″ S, 75°30′58″ W; 687 m a.s.l.; 20 Feb. 2016; P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 287; E [E00833925], MOL • Dist. Pozuzo, camino to mirador from Pozuzo; 10°04′21″ S, 75°32′57″ W; 781 m a.s.l.; 20 Feb. 2016; P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 274; E [E00833929], MOL • Parque Nacional Yanachaga-Chemillén, Sector Paujil, trail from Pampa Pescado to “las cavernas”; 10°20′32″ S, 75°15′58″ W; 416 m a.s.l.; 25 Feb. 2016; P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 317; E [E00833926], MOL • Dist. Villa Rica, Route from Villa Rica to Puerto Berudez, km. 88; 10°33′10″ S, 75°05′05″ W; 629 m a.s.l.; 24 Feb. 2016; P.W. Moonlight & A. Daza 313; E [E00833924], MOL.
Description
Caulescent herb, to 40 cm high. Stem erect, unbranched or rarely branching near the base; internodes to 2.5 cm long, to 5 mm thick, flexuous, pale green, glabrous. Stipules persistent, lanceolate, 10–20 × 2–4 mm, apex acuminate, opaque, pale green to brown, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate. Leaves> 5, alternate, basifixed; petiole 3–10 cm long, pale green, glabrous; blade asymmetrical, elliptic to oblanceolate, to 25 × 10 cm, succulent, apex acuminate, base broadly rounded on the broad side of the blade, cuneate to rounded or cordate on the narrow side of the blade, margin irregularly dentate, ciliate, upper surface green, glabrous, lower surface pale green, glabrous, veins palmate-pinnate, 6–8 veined from the base, with 3–5 secondary veins on the larger side, 2–4 secondary veins on the smaller side. Inflorescences 1–3, bisexual, axillary, erect, cymose, with 5 branches, bearing up to 16 staminate flowers and 8 pistillate flowers, protandrous; peduncle to 12 cm long, pale green to red, glabrous, bracts late deciduous, lanceolate, 5–8 × 1–3 mm, translucent, white, pink, or pale green, glabrous, apex acute, margin entire, aciliate. Staminate flowers: pedicels to 20 mm long, glabrous; tepals 4, spreading, outer 2 lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 7–12 × 2–6 mm, apex acute to obtuse, white, occasionally tinged yellow or orange, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate, inner 2 lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 5–11 × 2–3 mm, apex acute, white, occasionally tinged yellow or orange, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; stamens ca 20, spreading, yellow, filaments 2–3 mm long, attached along the length of a 1 mm long column, anthers broadly obovoid, 0.25–0.5 × 0.25–0.5 mm long, dehiscing via lateral slits, connectives not extended, symmetrically basifixed. Pistillate flowers: pedicels to 15 mm long; bracteoles lacking; tepals 5, subequal, deciduous in fruit, spreading, lanceolate to ovate, 7–8 × 4–5 mm, apex acute to obtuse, white, sometimes tinged yellow, orange or pink, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate; ovary body ellipsoid, 10–15 × 4–6 mm, white, glabrous, unequally 3-winged, wings triangular, the largest 15–17 × 5–12 mm, the smallest two 12–15 × 1–5 mm; 3-locular, placentae branches divided, bearing ovules on both surfaces; styles 3, yellow, free, 2–3 mm long, once-divided, stigmatic papillae in a spirally twisted. Fruiting pedicel to 25 mm long. Fruit body ellipsoid, to 20 × 9 mm, drying brown, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest expanding to 25 × 15 mm, the smallest expanding to 20 × 12 mm.
Proposed conservation assessment
Assessed as Least Concern (LC) by Moonlight et al. (2017b).
Identification notes
Begonia chemillenensis is most similar to B. albomaculata (see Identification notes for B. albomaculata above) but may also be confused with B. maynensis. While B. chemillenensis usually has a cuneate leaf base on the narrow side of the leaf blade, it never has a cuneate base on both sides of the blade and is always broadly rounded on the broad side of the blade.
Distribution and ecology
Endemic to Peru and known from Huánuco and Pasco Regions (Fig. 71A). Found in Amazonian and lower montane forest at an elevation of 325–1400 m a.s.l. Begonia chemillenensis is typically collected on rocky or mud banks adjacent to watercourses but has also been collected from roadside and trailside banks. The species is usually locally common.
description: Published as part of Moonlight, Peter. W., Jara-Muñoz, Orlando A., Purvis, David A., Delves, Jay, Allen, Josh P. & Reynel, Carlos, 2023, The genus Begonia (Begoniaceae) in Peru, pp. 1-334 in European Journal of Taxonomy 881 on pages 228-230, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.881.2175, http://zenodo.org/record/8178280