B. bawangensis

Culture

Endangered Status

Critically endangered B2ab(iii)

Original Botanical Description or Link to

Caulescent herb, erect or scrambling on steep (volcanic) rocks. Stem c. 30–50 cm tall, internodes 3–8 cm long. Stipules ovate to lanceolate, deciduous, pale green, c. 20 × 9 mm, with scattered miniscule hairs visible with a microscope. Leaves: petiole terete, fleshy, pale green, glabrous, 3–15 cm long; lamina peltate, ovate, pale green adaxially and milky green abaxially, with a thin chocolate outline on the margin when young and expanding, bleaching to very pale green in direct sunlight, glabrous on both surfaces, ovate, 10–15 × 6–9 cm, very asymmetric, point of petiole attachment c. 5 mm from the lamina margin; venation palmate-pinnate, main veins 5–8; margin sinuate and very shallowly and broadly dentate, dentition more obvious after drying; apex shortly acuminate, c. 8 mm long. Inflorescence terminal erect, 10–15 cm long, slightly zigzag, pale green to whitish, glabrous, female flowers solitary, basal, male flowers 10–15, distal; primary peduncle c. 7 cm long, apical peduncles very short making the male flowers very close together; bracts white, translucent, broadly ovate, c. 7 × 6 mm, trip acute. Female flower with translucent white bracteoles c. 8 mm away from the base of the ovary; ovary white, with three subequal wings, total size including wings c. 20 × 23 mm, apex of wings rounded; capsule ellipsoid, white with slightly pale green at apex, three-locular, with bifid placentae; tepals 5, white, glabrous, ovate, c. 8 × 4–7 mm, base and apex rounded, outer 2 larger; styles 3, free to the base, shallowly Y-shaped, yellow, stigmatic surface once spiralled. Male flower with 4 white glabrous tepals, outer larger, ovate to sub-orbicular, c. 10 × 8 mm, base cordate, apex rounded, inner elliptic, c. 7 × 2 mm, base and apex obtuse; androecium with c. 13 stamens arranged on a short column, filaments c. 0.25 mm, anther c. 1 mm long, hooded, slits on the abaxial side, c. 0.5 mm. Fruit shape as for the ovary, total size c. 23 × 26 mm including wings, pale green and recurved at maturity with the largest wing facing downwards.