New and noteworthy species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from Vietnam and Laos

Abstract

The paper provides additions to the known diversity of Begonia in Vietnam and Laos. One species new to science from Lao PDR (B. vivipara) and three new species from Vietnam (B. aspersa, B. gracilifolia, B. maculifolia) are described. Three species (B. rotundilimba, B. versicolor, B. wenshanensis) are reported as new records for the flora of Vietnam. For each species, the information on ecology, phenology, estimated conservation status and distribution is presented, as well as the relevant taxonomic notes and analytical photographic illustrations.

A new stoloniferous species of Begonia Begoniaceae from Yunnan, China

“…Begonia L. Begoniaceae, with 2113 currently accepted species (Hughes et al 2015–present), is one of the largest and fastest‐growing genera of flowering plants. Yunnan province of China and its adjacent countries (Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar) are recognized as one of the richest areas for Begonia diversity (Guo et al 2021), with many new species and newly recorded species discovered in recent years (Radbouchoom et al 2019, Wang et al 2019, 2020, Xi et al 2020, Ding et al 2020, 2022, Maw et al 2020, 2021, Tian et al 2021, Averyanov et al 2021, Souvannakhoummane et al 2021, Pham et al 2021, Cai et al 2022). During the botanical surveys in 2022 of the China–Myanmar transboundary region in Yunnan, an unknown Begonia species was collected from the Nangunhe National Nature Reserve of Cangyuan Va Autonomous County.…”