B. larvata

Culture

Original Botanical Description or Link to

Begonia larvata C.I Peng, Yan Liu & W.B.Xu, sp. nov. (Sect. Coelocentrum) 果子狸秋海棠 (Figs. 5 and 6). Type: CHINA. Guangxi, Chongzuo City, Jiangzhou District, Zuozhou Town, Guanghe Village, Pairu Tun, elev. ca. 100 m, 15 June 2014, Peng et al. 24372 with Weibin Xu (holotype: IBK; isotype: HAST-138465). Monoecious rhizomatous herb. Rhizomes stout, creeping, to 15 cm or longer, 10–18 mm thick, internodes 5–10 mm long, glabrous but villous at the base of petiole. Stipules persistent, yellowish green with red veins, triangular-ovate, 8–15 mm long, 7–12 mm wide, strongly keeled, glabrous, margin entire, apex aristate, arista ca. 4 mm long. Leaves alternate; petiole terete, reddish, (9−)14−22 cm long, 4–6 mm thick, densely white villous; leaf blade asymmetric, oblique, ovate to widely ovate, 13−22 cm long, 9–16 cm wide, broad side 5–10 cm wide, basal lobes cordate, 3.8–7 cm long, apex acuminate, margin denticulate and densely puberulous, hairs white or pale magenta; leaf thick chartaceous, adaxially deep olive-green to dark viridian, emerald to lime green zone and embellish with crushing silvery white spots along primary and secondary veins, midrib veins forming a widely silvery white zone; surface densely small raised cones topped, a top by a hair, hair white to magenta, give a wrinkled texture; abaxially pale green, purplish red between primary and secondary veins, pilose on all veins; venation basally ca. 7 palmate, midrib distinct, ca. 3 secondary veins on each side, tertiary veins reddish, lateral through connection between with other basal veins, minor veins reticulate. Inforescences axillary, dichasial cymes or difusely thyrsoid, arising directly from rhizome, branched 5–8 times; peduncle crimson, 17–32 cm long, glabrous; bracts usually persistent, pale yellow-green with reddish veins, orbicular to widely ovate, frst pair ca. 8 mm across, glabrous, margin entire with sessile glands, bracts of upper inforescence similar but smaller. Staminate fower: pedicel 0.8–3 cm long, glabrous, tepals 4 (sometimes 2), glabrous, outer 2 very widely ovate to orbicular, 5–10 mm long, 8–12 mm wide, yellowish green with red veins, sometimes reddish toward the base, inner 2 obovate, yellowish green, ca. 4 mm long, 2 mm wide; androecium actinomorphic, 3.5–6 mm across; stamens golden yellow, 65–80; flaments fused at base; anthers obovate, ca. 1 mm long, 2-locular, apex truncate or retuse, more or less equal at flaments. Pistillate fower: pedicel 1–2.3 cm long, glabrous, tepals 3 (sometimes 2), glabrous, outer 2 suborbicular or broadly ovate, yellowish green with red veins, 7–10 mm long, 8–11 mm wide, inner 1 obovate, yellowish green, ca. 3 mm long, 2 mm wide; ovary trigonous-ellipsoid, 7–11 mm long, 3.5–5 mm thick (wings excluded), yellow-green, redness, sparsely glands; 3-winged, wings unequal, yellowish green with red veins, sparsely glands, lateral wings narrower, narrowly crescent-shaped to trapezium, 2–3 mm high, abaxial wing crescent-shaped, ca. 4 mm high, margin entire; styles 3, fused at base, golden yellow, ca. 3.5 mm long, stigma spirally twisted. Capsule: tepals persistent; capsule trigonous-ellipsoid, 8–14 mm long, 4–5 mm thick (wings excluded), greenish or reddish when fresh; wings unequal, lateral wings ca. 4 mm high, abaxial wing crescent-shaped, ca. 5 mm high. Distribution and ecology Begonia larvata is only known from the Zuozhou Town, Jiangzhou District, Chongzuo City, Guangxi, growing on semi-shaded limestone clif surfaces or steep slopes, at 125–165 m in elevation. Etymology Te species epithet ‘larvata’ (masked), refers to the leaf variegation that resembles the facial mark of masked palm civet (Paguma larvata).