B. blancii

Culture

Endangered Status

Least concern

Original Botanical Description or Link to

botanical-studies-2011-vol-52-begonia-blancii-publication-avril-2011.pdf: “Lithophytic creeping herb. Stem succulent, repent, ca. 5-9 mm diameter, with long pale hairs up to 5 mm long, internodes up to 1 cm apart. Stipules triangular, ca. 15 × 12 mm, slightly keeled, with 2 mm long hairs along the keel and scattered on the abaxial surface, tip extended, apex fimbriate, persistent, becoming recurved and papery with age. Leaves appressed to the substrate when growing vertically, more erect when growing on more horizontal substrate; petiole ca. 1-2 cm on young leaves, extending to around 5-7 cm as the leaf ages reducing the overlap in the leaf mosaic; lamina distinctly fleshy, in various colour forms such as green mottled with darker green, solid dark green with slightly paler veins, or uniform blackish green, basifixed, ob-triangular spathulate, asymmetric, base minutely cordate, sinus ca. 1 mm deep, basal lobe on one side extending to ca. 5 mm, 6-11 × 4-8 cm, upper surface glabrous, underside hairy on the veins, margin entire, slightly wavy, with short hairs, apex broad, truncate or with shallow rounded lobes. Inflorescence up to 20 cm long, cymose, with around 10 flowers, terminal flower pairs consisting of one male and one female, male and female flowers open at the same time; primary peduncle up to 15 cm long, ca. 4 mm in diameter, with scattered long pale hairs, secondary and tertiary peduncles 10-30 mm long, with sparser hairs concentrated near to branching points; bracts triangular-lanceolate, ca. 13 × 6 mm at the first dichotomy and becoming smaller higher up, glabrous or with a small number of hairs, fimbriate. Male flower:pedicels ca. 15-20 mm long, glabrous or with a few hairs; tepals 4, outer 2 ovate, pink on the reverse with scattered hairs, otherwise white or very pale pink and glabrous, ca. 18 × 10 mm, inner 2 obovate to spathulate, tips roundedtruncate to slightly retuse, white, glabrous, 15 × 7 mm; androecium pale yellow, asymmetric, with around 50 stamens; filaments free, unequal, 1.75 mm long on the lower stamens reducing to 1 mm on the upper; anthers 1.75 mm long, oval-oblong, dehiscing through slits running almost the full length of the anther, slits lateral at the base tending to unifacial at the tip, connective extended, rounded. Female flower: pedicels ca. 15-20 mm long, glabrous or with 1 or 2 hairs; ovary 15 × 15 mm overall, with 3-5 wings, uppermost wing largest, rounded, 10 × 15 mm, markedly cucullate, two lowest wings 5 × 12, sometimes with 2 more very reduced wings running parallel along the side of the capsule; capsule ca. 10 × 5 mm, 2-locular, placentae bifid; tepals 4, outer 2 ovate, pink on the reverse with a few hairs, otherwise white or very pale pink and glabrous, ca. 18 × 10 mm, inner 2 obovate to spathulate, tips rounded- truncate to slightly retuse, pale pink, glabrous, 15 × 7 mm; styles 3, golden yellow, bifid, 4 mm long, stigmatic surface once spiralled. Fruit the same shape and size as the ovary or very slightly larger, recurved so the largest wing is lowermost, drying pale brown, dehiscing through the attachment of the two uppermost wings which form a splash cup.”