BEGONIACEAE 1. BEGONIA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1056. 1753.

BEGONIACEAE 173
48. Begonia fenicis Merrill, Philipp. J. Sci. 3: 421. 1909.
兰 屿 秋 海 棠 lan yu qiu hai tang
Begonia kotoensis Hayata.
Herbs, rhizomatous. Rhizomes elongate, to 1.9 cm in diam.
Leaves basal; stipules ovate to triangular, to 2.1 × 1.8 cm, glabrous,
apex mucronate, acuminate; petiole 7–31 cm, glabrous;
blade broadly ovate to orbicular, asymmetric, 7–26 × 6–21 cm,
glabrous or abaxially remotely scaberulous, venation palmate,
7–10-veined, base oblique, cordate, margin irregularly denticulate,
apex mucronate to acuminate. Inflorescences 17–53 cm,
glabrous; bracts caducous, orbicular to oblate, to 1.4 × 1.8 cm,
glabrous, margin entire and often reflexed, apex retuse to apiculate.
Staminate flowers: pedicel 8–10 mm; tepals 4, outer 2 obovate
to orbicular, 0.9–2.5 × 0.8–2.2 cm, inner 2 oblanceolate to
narrowly obovate, 0.8–2.3 cm × 4–11 mm; stamens 39–58; filaments
1.2–2.3 mm; anthers broadly oblong, 1.4–1.8 mm, apex
obtuse. Pistillate flowers: pedicel 1.5–2 cm; tepals 5(or 6), unequal,
oblanceolate to broadly obovate, largest 0.8–2.1 × 0.7–
1.8 cm, smallest 0.7–18 cm × 4–8 mm; ovary glabrous, 3-
loculed; placentae axile, bilamellate; styles 3, fused at base;
stigmas 2-cleft, spiraled. Capsule nodding, unequally 3-winged;
abaxial wing transversely elliptic, 6–10 mm; lateral wings lunate,
3–8 mm. Fl. May–Oct. 2n = 26*.
Margins of coastal forests, raised coral rocks by seashores; below
100 m. Taiwan (Huoshao Dao, Lan Yu) [Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Philippines
(Bataan Islands)].
49. Begonia filiformis Irmscher, Mitt. Inst. Allg. Bot. Hamburg
10: 521. 1939.
丝 形 秋 海 棠 si xing qiu hai tang
Herbs. Rhizomes creeping, tortuous, 0.7–1.5 mm in diam.
Leaves all basal; stipules caducous, triangular, 0.5–1 × 0.5–0.7
cm, apex awned; petiole 5–15 cm; blade adaxially green, with
white spot between veins, obliquely ovate to suborbicular, 9–22
× 9–14 cm, papery, abaxially woolly-villous, more densely so
on veins, adaxially papillose-tomentose or setose-tomentose,
venation palmate, 7-veined, tertiary veins weakly percurrent,
base deeply cordate, margin shallowly and densely serrate, apex
acuminate or shortly caudate. Inflorescences axillary; peduncle
22–40 cm, glandular hispid; bracts oblong-lanceolate, 4–7 ×
1.1–1.5 mm, margin long ciliate or serrate-ciliate, apex awned.
Staminate flowers: pedicel 1–2.3 cm, glandular hispid; tepals 4,
outer 2 ovate or suborbicular, 8–12 × 7–8 mm, adaxially glandular
hispid, apex acute or rounded, inner 2 oblong, 5–7 × 2.2–
2.6 mm, apex rounded; stamens numerous; filaments ca. 1.5
mm; anthers obovoid, 0.5–0.8 mm, apex ± emarginate. Pistillate
flowers: pedicel 1.5–3 cm, glandular hispid; tepals 3, outer 2
broadly ovate, 7–10 × 8–10 mm, adaxially glandular hispid,
inner 1 oblong, 5–6 × 2.2–2.8 mm; ovary elliptic, glandular hispid,
1-loculed; styles 3, fused at base; stigmas spiraled. Capsule
nodding, unequally 3-winged; abaxial wing ligulate or lunate,
4–7.5 mm; lateral wings smaller, subtriangular or lunate. Fl.
(Mar–)Apr–Jun, fr. May.
● On limestone rocks or in moist rocky caves of forest understories.
Guangxi (Long’an, Longzhou).
50. Begonia fimbribracteata Y. M. Shui & W. H. Chen, Acta
Bot. Yunnan. 27: 362. 2005.
须 苞 秋 海 棠 xu bao qiu hai tang
Herbs, rhizomatous. Rhizomes 7–10 cm, 2–10 mm in
diam., glabrous, internodes 0.2–0.4 mm, apex acuminate. Leaves
all basal; stipules triangular, ca. 5 × 3 mm, subglabrous; petiole
9–15 cm, with sparse strigae 1–2 mm; blade broadly ovate, 6–7
× 5–6 cm, papery, rugose and conically bullate, abaxially sparsely
strigose on veins and notched on areolae, adaxially sparsely
tumid-based setose, basally 6- or 7-veined, tertiary veins percurrent
and loosely reticulate, base obliquely cordate, margin
ciliate and serrulate, apex rounded. Inflorescences with ca. 5
flowers in a dichasial cyme; peduncle 10–16 cm, sparsely hairy;
bracts oblong, ca. 4 × 3 mm, glabrous, margin serrulate and fimbriate-ciliate.
Staminate flowers: pedicels 1.2–1.5 cm, sparsely
hairy; tepals 4, outer 2 pink, broadly obovate, 8–9 × 7–8 mm,
sometimes abaxially sparsely pilose, inner 2 pinkish, oblongobovate;
stamens numerous; filaments nearly free, 1.2–1.4 mm;
anthers broadly oblong, 1.1–1.2 × 1.4–1.6 mm, apex obtuse.
Pistillate flowers: tepals 3, outer 2 pink, orbicular, 0.5–0.6 cm
in diam., glabrous, inner 1 white, obovate; ovary obconiform,
4–5 mm, sparsely hairy, 1-loculed with parietal placentation;
styles 3, free, 1–1.1 mm; wings 3, subequal, lunate. Capsules unknown.
Fl. Jun.
● Limestone hills; ca. 300 m. Guangxi (Donglan).
51. Begonia fimbristipula Hance, J. Bot. 21: 202. 1883.
紫 背 天 葵 zi bei tian kui
Begonia cyclophylla J. D. Hooker.
Herbs, deciduous. Tubers 7–8 mm in diam. Leaf solitary;
stipules ovate-lanceolate, 3–7 × 2–4 mm, apex acute and cuspidate;
petiole 3–11.5 cm, villous; blade broadly ovate, 6–13 ×
4.8–8.5 cm, nearly symmetric, rugulose, abaxially hairy, adaxially
sparsely pubescent, venation palmate, 7(or 8)-veined, base
slightly oblique, cordate or deeply cordate, margin denticulate,
apex acute or shortly acuminate. Inflorescences terminal, cymose,
6–18 cm tall, glabrous; bracts oblong, 3–4 × 1.5–2.5
mm, glabrous, apex obtuse or acute. Staminate flowers: pedicel
1.5–2 cm; tepals 4, pale pink to purplish pink, glabrous, outer 2
broadly ovate, 8–13 × 8–10 mm, inner 2 obovate-oblong, 7–
12.5 × 4–5 mm; stamens 50–60; filaments 1–1.5 mm; anthers
oblong or obovoid-oblong, 0.6–1 mm, apex emarginate or obtuse.
Pistillate flowers: pedicel 1–1.5 cm; tepals 3, pale pink to
purplish pink, glabrous, outer 2 oblate or orbicular, 6–8 × 9–11
mm, inner 1 oblanceolate, 6.1–9.2 × 2.8–4.2 mm; ovary 5–6
mm, glabrous, 3-loculed; placentae axile, bilamellate; styles 3,
2.8–3 mm, free or fused to halfway; stigmas U-shaped. Capsule
pendulous, ovoid-oblong, ca. 11 × 7–8 mm, unequally 3-winged;
abaxial wing triangular, 1.1–1.4 cm; lateral wings ca. 3 mm. Fl.
May, fr. Jun. 2n = 22*.
● Forest understories, on rocks or on soil of slopes; 700–1100 m.
Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang.
The leaves of this species are harvested and dried for brewing a
beverage (i.e., a tea) in Guangdong.