Begonia pleiopetala

Proposed conservation assessment Recently assessed as Least Concern (LC) by Tebbitt (2016).

Sumber: The genus Begonia (Begoniaceae) in Peru

Description Acaulescent, tuberous herb, to 25 cm high. Tuber spheroid, 1 – 4 × 1 – 4 cm, with 1 growing point. Stipules persistent, triangular, 2 – 5 × 2 – 4 mm, apex acute, opaque, dark brown, glabrous, margin entire, aciliate. Leaves 2 – 8, alternate, basifixed; petiole 1 – 12.5 cm long, red, sparsely to densely tomentose; blade subsymmetric, reniform to ovate, to 15 × 11 cm, succulent, apex indistinct, rounded, to obtuse, base truncate to cordate, basal lobes overlapping or not overlapping, sinus to 25 mm deep, margin undulate, crenate, or dentate, aciliate to ciliate, upper surface green, glabrous to pilose or villous, lower surface very pale green with red veins, glabrous to sparsely pilose on the lamina, sparsely to densely pilose or villous on the veins, veins palmate, 5 – 8 veined from the base. Inflorescences 1 – 4, bisexual, axillary, erect, a dichasial or monochasial cyme, with 2 branches, bearing up to 2 staminate flowers and 2 pistillate flowers, protandrous; peduncle to 21 cm long, white to green or red, sparsely tomentose, bracts late deciduous, lanceolate, 4 – 10 × 1 – 5 mm, translucent, pale green, glabrous, sparsely tomentose on the outside, apex acute, margin entire, sometimes serrulate at the apex, aciliate to ciliate. Staminate flowers: pedicels to 45 mm long, sparsely tomentose; tepals 5 – 11, projecting, lanceolate, 5 – 25 × 1 – 13 mm, apex rounded, white to pink, rarely red, glabrous, sometimes lanate on the outside, margin entire, aciliate; stamens 15 – 50, spreading, yellow, filaments 0.5 – 2.5 mm long, free, anthers ellipsoid, 1 – 1.5 × 0.5 – 0.8 mm, dehiscing via lateral slits, connectives not extending or extending to 0.75 mm, symmetrically basifixed. Pistillate flowers: pedicels to 55 mm long; bracteoles lacking; tepals (4 –) 5 – 10, subequal, persistent in fruit, spreading, elliptic to ovate, 4 – 10 × 1 – 10 mm, apex rounded to truncate, white to pink, rarely red, glabrous, sparsely tomentose outside, margin entire, aciliate; ovary body ovoid, 2 – 8 × 2 – 7 mm, white to green or red, sparsely to densely tomentose, unequally 3 - winged, rarely 2 - winged, the largest wing triangular to rectangular, sometimes ascending, 2 – 8 × 2 – 10 mm, the smallest marginal, 0.5 – 1 mm wide; 3 - locular, rarely 2 - locular, placentae branches divided, bearing ovules on both surfaces; styles 3, rarely 2, yellow, free, 2 – 4 mm long, 2 - to 4 - lobed, stigmatic papillae in a spirally-twisted band. Fruiting pedicel to 55 mm long. Fruit body ovoid, to 9 × 8 mm, drying brown, wings same shape as in ovary, the largest expanding to 9 × 14 mm, the smallest expanding to 1.5 mm wide.