B. oyuniae

Culture

Endangered Status

Least Concern

Original Botanical Description or Link to

Monoecious tuberous herb. Tubers globose to sub globose, 0.5–1 cm across, with numerous fibrous roots. Stem 2–15 cm, internodes 2.3–5 cm long if present, glabrous. Stipules paired, axillary, opposite, ovate triangular, transparent with pale green stripes, minute (c. 1 × 0.5 mm; Krishna 159649) or larger (6–9 mm × 4–6 mm; Taram 301), membranous, glabrous, entire, acute. Leaves 1–2(–3); petiole channelled above, transparent, greenish white, 3–15 cm × 2–6 mm, glabrous; leaf lamina ovate-lanceolate, base cordate, symmetric to subsymmetric, margin obtuse-sinuate to acutely lobed, (6– )7(–8) palmate, 7–16.5 × 3.5–14.5 cm, membranous, succulent, adaxially light green, with irregularly dispersed stiff membranous hairs up to 1 mm long, abaxially whitish green, glabrous; venation palmate, c. 3 primary veins on each side; secondary veins pinnate; margin entire between the lobes, plantlets sometimes forming at the end of the lamina lobes, apex acute to shortly acuminate. Inflorescences arising from the petiole, bisexual, 4–19 cm long, whitish green, glabrous or with minute glandular hairs becoming glabrous, peduncle 2.5–11 cm long, branched up to 4 times, a raceme of cymes, erect. Bracts 2 (rarely 3), opposite, pale green, transparent, deciduous, lateral ones triangular-ovate to lanceolate, 3 × 1–2 mm, middle one (if present) linear, 0.5 × 2 mm, glabrous or minute glandular hairy when young, glabrous when mature, entire, acute. Staminate flowers: pedicel 0.4–1.2 cm long, glabrous, tepals 4, white transparent, outer 2 obovate, 7–11 × 6 mm wide, glabrous; inner ones 2, narrowly obovate, 3–6 × 2 mm, apex rounded; androecium asymmetric, stamens c. 12 arranged in two rows; inner row anthers c. 2 mm long, filaments c. 1 mm long; outer row anthers c. 1 mm long, filaments c. 1 mm; anthers oblong, c. 1 mm long, connective not extended apically, obtuse to truncate, dehiscence through unilaterally positioned pores. Pistillate flowers: pedicel 0.4–0.6 cm long, glabrous or minute glandular hairy when young, glabrous when mature; ovary pale green, glabrous, 2-locular, two placental lamellae per locule, locular part excluding wings ellipsoid, 6 × 3 mm, 3-winged, wings unequal, longest wing 9 × 5 mm, ovate, smallest wing 2 mm, elliptic, margins of wings entire, larger wing slightly wrinkled (Taram 301) or slightly verruculose (Krishna 159649); tepals 5–6, elliptic-obovate, subequal, 6–9 × 3–6 mm, white, glabrous; styles 2, free, stigmas lunate. Fruit a curved capsule, pale green, wings strongly unequal, lateral wings ending at the middle of the capsule, cucullate, c. 5 × 3 mm; medial wing 1.2 × 1.8 cm, slightly wrinkled or verruculose, irregularly dehiscent. Capsule recurved when mature with the two smaller wings forming a splash cup. Seeds numerous, ellipsoid to oblate, c. 0.3 × 0.2 mm.