Botanical Studies (Jul 2020)

Six new species of Begonia from Guangxi, China

  • Yan Liu,
  • Yu-Hsin Tseng,
  • Hsun-An Yang,
  • Ai-Qun Hu,
  • Wei-Bin Xu,
  • Che-Wei Lin,
  • Yoshiko Kono,
  • Chiung-Chih Chang,
  • Ching-I Peng,
  • Kuo-Fang Chung

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40529-020-00298-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 61, no. 1
pp. 1 – 23

Abstract

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Abstract Background With currently 1980 described species, the mega-diverse Begonia is now perhaps the 5th largest flowering plant genus, expanding rapidly from ca. 900 species in 1997 to its current size in merely two decades. In continuation of our studies of Asian Begonia, we report six additional new species from Guangxi, the region/province harboring the second richest Begonia flora of China. Results Based on morphological and molecular data, the new species B. aurora belongs to Begonia sect. Platycentrum, while the other five new species (viz. B. larvata, B. longiornithophylla, B. lui, B. scabrifolia, and B. zhuoyuniae) are members of Sect. Coelocentrum. Somatic chromosome numbers of B. longiornithophylla and B. zhuoyuniae at metaphase were counted as 2n = 30, consistent with previously reports for Sect. Coelocentrum. Conclusions With the addition of the six new species, the total number of Begonia species in Guangxi increases from 86 to 92. Detailed description, line drawings, and color plates are provided to aid in identification.

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