Begonia tayloriana Irmsch.

Begoniaceae, Vanessa Plana, Martin J.S. Sands & Henk J. Beentje. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2006

Type

Type: Tanzania, Ufipa District: Chala Mt, Richards 7203 (K!, holo.).

Morphology General Habit

Herb, 10–25 cm high; stem erect, branched, shortly pilose.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules persistent, membranous, ovate to oblong, 9–16 mm long, with fimbriate-dentate margin.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves asymmetrically ovate, 2.5–4.5 × 2.5–3.5 cm, base slightly cordate, margin with 2(–3) short lobes, otherwise crenulate-serrulate, apex acute, pilose above and on the veins beneath; venation palmate; petiole 1–3.5 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in a few-flowered cyme; peduncle 8–13 mm long; bracts persistent, oblong, 5–6 mm long; pedicels 10–21 mm long; bracteoles absent. Male flowers: tepals 4, pink, the outer suborbicular, 10 × 10 mm, the inner obovate, 9 × 5–6 mm; stamens many, filaments 1–2 mm long, anthers obovoid. Female flowers: tepals 3, pink, elliptic, 10 × 7 mm; ovary ovoid, 5–6 × 3–5 mm, 3-locular, 3-winged; placentation axile, bilamellate; styles persistent, branched halfway up, the branches twisted, with a spiral stigmatic band.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit an ovoid capsule, 9 × 6 mm, one wing larger than the others; wings triangular-deltoid, 5–7 mm wide, rounded; dehiscence along the junction with the wing.

Ecology

“In a crevice under a rock”; 2100 m.

Conservation

Vulnerable (VU); known only from the type .

Note

Irmscher just states this is ‘well separated from its relatives’ by the few triangular 2–3lobed leaves with acute apex and the short white indument. This comes close to B. princeae and is distinct only in the slight leaf lobes and the three (rather than four) ♀ tepals.

Distribution

Range: Only known from the type Flora districts: T4