南投秋海棠 nan tou qiu hai tang

Herbs. Rhizomes elongate. Stems to 100 cm tall, pubescent when young. Leaves basal and cauline; stipules caducous, ovate, ca. 1.5 cm; petiole 8-25 cm, pubescent when young; blade ovate, asymmetric, 12-18 × 8-14 cm, pubescent, venation palmate, 8-10-veined, base oblique, cordate, margin irregularly denticulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences pubescent. Staminate flowers: usually prematurely dropped in bud with abortive pollen; tepals 4, pinkish, outer 2 broadly ovate, 1.6-2.3 × 1.2-1.8 cm, abaxially pubescent, inner 2 elliptic, 1.1-1.4 cm × 5-7 mm. Pistillate flowers: tepals 5, pinkish, unequal, largest 1.7-2 × 1.4-1.8 cm, abaxially pubescent, smallest elliptic, ca. 12 × 7 mm; ovary pubescent, 2-loculed; placentae axile, bilamellate; styles 2, fused at base; stigmas 2-cleft, spiraled. Capsule nodding, unequally 3-winged; abaxial wing falcate, ca. 2.5 cm; lateral wings smaller.

● Taiwan (Nantou).

This is a natural hybrid between Begonia palmata and B. chitoensis. Further studies to confirm its hybrid status and putative parents are in progress by C. I Peng and associates.