Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2026-09-22
Page range: 61-66
Abstract views: 7
PDF downloaded: 0

Begonia rajvikramanii (Begoniaceae), a new species from Kerala, India

Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI); Palode; Karimancode P.O.; Thiruvananthapuram-695562; Kerala; India
Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI); Palode; Karimancode P.O.; Thiruvananthapuram-695562; Kerala; India
Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI); Palode; Karimancode P.O.; Thiruvananthapuram-695562; Kerala; India
Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI); Palode; Karimancode P.O.; Thiruvananthapuram-695562; Kerala; India
Eudicots Begonia Cucurbitales Kerala South West India Taxonomy

Abstract

A new species of Begonia (sect. Reichenheimia, Begoniaceae) from Kerala, SW India, B. rajvikramanii, is described here based on critical morphological characters. A detailed taxonomic description, photographic plate, notes on ecology, and a comparative table distinguishing it from closely allied species are provided.

References

  1. Aitawade, M.M., Bachulkar, M.Y. & Yadav, S.R. (2019a) Begonia handibadaganathensis (Begoniaceae), a new species from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 423 (3): 206–210. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.423.3.9
  2. Aitawade, M.M., Kattukunnel, J.J. & Yadav, S.R. (2019b) Begonia bachulkarii (Begoniaceae, sect. Reichenheimia), a new species from the southern Western Ghats with notes on sect. Reichenheimia in India. Phytotaxa 423 (5): 277–283. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.423.5.1
  3. de Candolle, A.P. (1864) Begoniaceae. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 15 (1): 266–408.
  4. Doorenbos, J., Sosef, M.S.M. & de Wilde, J.J.F.E. (1998) The Sections of Begonia, including descriptions, key and species lists (Studies in Begoniaceae VI). Wageningen Agricultural University Papers, Wageningen.
  5. Dryander, J.C. (1791) Observations on the genus Begonia. Transaction of the Linnean Society of London 1: 155–173. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1791.tb00396.x
  6. Hughes, M., Moonlight, P.W., Jara-Muñoz, A., Tebbitt, M.C., Wilson, H.P., Zhong, K., Mills, T. & Pullan, M. (2015–present) Begonia Resource Centre. Available from: http://padme.rbge.org.uk/begonia/ (accessed 21 September 2026)
  7. IUCN (2024) Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, version 16. Prepared by the Standards and Petitions Committee. Available from: https://www.iucnredlist.org/documents/RedListGuidelines.pdf (accessed 7 January 2026)
  8. Krishna, N., Britto, S.J., Thomas, S., Mani, B., Pradeep, A.K. & Jithin, K.V. (2019) A new section (Begonia sect. Flocciferae sect. nov.) and two new species in Begoniaceae from the Western Ghats of India. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 77 (2): 251–268. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960428619000349
  9. Krishna, N. & Pradeep, A.K. (2020) Synonymy of Begonia keralensis with Begonia bachulkarii. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 77 (2): 269–269. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960428619000386
  10. Lindau, G. (1893) Beiträge zur Systematik der Acanthaceen. Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 18: 36–64. [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/676#page/43/mode/1up]
  11. Linnaeus, C. (1753) Species Plantarum. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm, 1200 pp.
  12. Miquel, F.A.W. (1852) Analecta Botanica Indica, vol. 3. J.C.A. Sulpke, Amsterdam, 30 pp.
  13. Moonlight, P.W., Ardi, W.H., Arroyo Padilla, L., Chung, K.F., Fuller, D., Girmansyah, D., Hollands, R., Jara-Muñoz, A., Kiew, R., Mahardika, A., Marasinghe, L.D.K., Leong, W.-C., Liu, Y., O’Connor, M., Peng, C.-I, Pérez, Á.J., Phutthai, T., Pullan, M., Rajbhandary, S., Reynel, C., Rubite, R.R., Sang, J., Scherberich, D., Shui, Y.-M., Tebbitt, M.C., Thomas, D.C., Wilson, H.P., Zaini, N.H. & Hughes, M. (2018) Dividing and conquering the fastest growing genus: Towards a natural sectional classification of the mega-diverse genus Begonia (Begoniaceae). Taxon 67 (2): 267–323. https://doi.org/10.12705/672.3
  14. Moonlight, P.W., Baldaszti, L., Cardoso, D., Elliott, A., Särkinen, T. & Knapp, S. (2024) Twenty years of big plant genera. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 291: 20240702. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.0702
  15. Nayar, T.S., Rasiya, B.A. & Sibi, M. (2014) Flowering Plants of the Western Ghats, India 1. Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, 933 pp.
  16. Nayar, T.S., Beegam, A.R., Mohanan, N. & Rajkumar, G. (2006) Flowering Plants of Kerala―A Handbook. TBGRI, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 1069 pp.
  17. Thiers, B. (2020 [continuously updated]) Index Herbariorum: a global directory of public herbaria and associated staff. New York Botanical Garden’s Virtual herbarium. Available from: http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ (accessed 22 December 2025)

How to Cite

Kumar, E.S.S., Shareef, S.M., Anusha, P.P. & Joseph, R. (2026) Begonia rajvikramanii (Begoniaceae), a new species from Kerala, India. Phytotaxa 776 (1): 61–66. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.776.1.7