Begonia ignita (sect. Petermannia, Begoniaceae), a new species with orange flowers from Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Begonia ignita C.W.Lin & C.I Peng, a new species of Begonia sect. Petermannia from Sulawesi, Indonesia, is here described and illustrated. It is distinct from other species in Begonia section Petermannia by a character combination including a procumbent stem ascending only at the apex, symmetric or subsymmetric leaves, the presence of a pale band or maculation running parallel to the leaf margin, and orange tepals. A detailed comparison with a morphologically similar species, the Sulawesi endemic Begonia mendumiae M.Hughes, is provided.