Begonia laxiflora (Begoniaceae), a new species in sect. Petermannia from Central Vietnam

• DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.671.1.6
• Publication Date: 2024-11-06T23:53:03Z
• Authors: VAN THANH BUI; KHANG SINH NGUYEN; MANH TUAN LE; DUC TRONG NGHIEM; SY HUNG UONG; QUANG TRUNG TRUONG; ANH TU LE; CHE WEI LIN
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 01 natural sciences

Begonis laxiflora is described as a new species endemic to Vietnam from granite boulder habitats in the Dakrong district. It is most similar to B. abbreviata in its creeping habit, broadly ovate leaves, persistent bracts, and the number of tepals in both staminate and pistillate flowers. The new species is different in its inflorescence having internodes much longer than the bracts (vs. internodes are hidden by the bracts), the outer tepals glabrous in both staminate and pistillate flowers (vs. sparsely scabrescent on the abaxial surface), ovary covered with minutely glandular trichomes (vs. hirsute) and the wings of the capsule distally pointed (vs. rounded).