出云山秋海棠 chu yun shan qiu hai tang

Herbs, erect. Rhizomes poorly developed. Stems 40-85 cm tall, glabrous. Leaves cauline; stipules caducous, lanceolate to ovate, to 2.1 cm, glabrous, margin entire, apex acuminate; petiole 6-30 cm, glabrous; blade ovate to narrowly ovate, asymmetric, 12-27 × 5-14 cm, both surfaces sparsely scaberulous, venation palmate-pinnate, 7-9-veined, base cordate, margin irregularly serrulate or denticulate, often slightly undulate, apex acuminate to cuspidate. Inflorescences 5-16 cm; peduncle to 13 cm; bracts caducous, narrowly ovate to ovate, to 2.3 × 1.4 cm, glabrous, margin entire, apex acuminate. Tepals white or very faintly pinkish. Staminate flowers: tepals 4, outer 2 broadly obovate to orbicular, 9-24 × 7-21 mm, inner 2 oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, 7-18 × 4-8 mm; stamens 98-137; filaments 0.5-2.1 mm; anthers narrowly oblong to oblanceolate, 2.9-3.2 mm. Pistillate flowers: tepals 5(or 6), unequal to subequal, narrowly obovate to broadly obovate, largest 9-21 × 8-18 mm, smallest 8-19 × 4-9 mm; ovary glabrous, 3-loculed; placentae axile, bilamellate; styles 3, 4.9-5.3 mm, fused at base; stigmas 2-cleft, spiraled. Capsule nodding, unequally 3-winged; abaxial wing triangular, 1.8-2.4 cm; lateral wings much smaller. 2n = 52*.

● Shaded moist broad-leaved forests; 500-1600 m. S Taiwan.

This species is similar to Begonia lukuana but differs by its larger anthers and the leaves, which are pale green on both surfaces.