Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 767 No. 1: 16 Jul. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-07-16
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.767.1.8
Page range: 72-76
Abstract views: 44
PDF downloaded: 3

Begonia leasalongae (Section Petermannia, Begoniaceae), a new species from Tago, Surigao del Sur, Mindanao Island, Philippines

The Graduate School; University of Santo Tomas; España; Manila 1015 Philippines; College of Arts & Sciences and College of Teacher Education Department; Saint Theresa College of Tandag; Tandag City 8300 Surigao del Sur; Philippines
The Graduate School; University of Santo Tomas; España; Manila 1015 Philippines; College of Science and Research Center for the Natural and Applied Science; University of Santo Tomas; España; Manila 1015 Philippines
College of Arts & Sciences Department; North Eastern Mindanao State University; Main Campus; Tandag City 8300 Surigao del Sur; Philippines
Department of Biology; College of Arts and Sciences; University of the Philippines Manila; Padre Faura; Manila; Philippines
Begonia agusanensis Begonia noraaunoriae flora setose Taxonomy Eudicots Caraga Region Surigao provinces vascular flora

Abstract

A new species of Begonia section Petermannia, B. leasalongae, from Surigao del Sur is described and illustrated. It grows on shady, moist, rocky slopes alongside a small creek in sitio Cabugi, Unidos, Tago, Surigao del Sur. The new species resembles Begonia noraaunoriae in having erect stems, obovately oblong leaves, 2-tepaled staminate flowers, 5-tepaled pistillate flowers and an upright capsule, but differs in having stems with setose white hairs (vs. glabrous), lanceolate stipules with an aristate apex (vs. obovately oblong with a roundly acute apex), and capsule with setose white hairs (vs. glabrous). The species is named in honor of Lea Salonga. Based on IUCN criteria, we propose its conservation status as Data Deficient (DD), as only one population is currently known.

References

  1. Ang, Y.P., Blasco, F.A., Bucay, M.A.C., Calaramo, M.A., Chung, K.-F., Dela Cruz, C.J.P., Hughes, M., Mazo, K.R.F., Medicilo-Guiang, M., Naive, M.A.K., Pranada, McA.K., Talaña, A.D., Tandang, D.N., Rubite, R.R. & Rule, M.G.Q. (2024) Photographic Guide to Selected Species of Philippine Begonia. In: Rubite, R.R., Chung, K.-F. & Hughes, M. (Eds.) Begonia of the Philippines. KBCC Press, Taipei, Taiwan, p. 276.
  2. Blasco, F.A., Alejandro, G.J.D. & Rubite, R.R. (2025) Begonia aristata (Section Petermannia, Begoniaceae), a new species from Surigao del Sur, Philippines. Phytotaxa 697 (3): 282–287. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.697.3.7
  3. Blasco, F.A., Tandang, D.N., Alejandro, G.J.D., Bucay, M.A.C., Cortes, J.C. & Rubite, R.R. (2023) Begonia noraaunorae (section Petermannia, Begoniaceae) a new species endemic to Surigao del Sur, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Phytotaxa 620 (2): 193–197. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.620.2.8
  4. Bucay, M.A.C., Tandang, D.N., Chen, H.-W., Rubite, R.R. & Chung, K.-F. (2025a) Morpho-anatomical description of new Begonia species (sect. Baryandra, Begoniaceae) from Butuan City, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Phytotaxa 681 (1): 102–108. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.681.1.8
  5. Bucay, M.A.C., Tandang, D.N., Chen, H.-W., Tsai, L.-W., Rubite, R.R. & Chung, K.-F. (2025b) Morphological and molecular analyses revealed two new species of Begonia sect. Baryandra in the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor, Philippines. Phytotaxa 698 (4): 245–256. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.698.4.4
  6. Hughes, M., Moonlight, P.W., Jara-Muñoz, A., Tebbitt, M.C., Wilson, H.P. & Pullan, M. (2015–present) Begonia Resource Centre. Available from: http://padme.rbge.org.uk/begonia/ (accessed 24 June 2026)
  7. IUCN Standards & Petitions Committee. (2022) Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria Version 15.1. Available from: https://www.iucnredlist.org/documents/RedListGuidelines.pdf (accessed 24 June 2026)
  8. Linnaeus, C. (1753) Species Plantarum. Vol 2. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm, 639 pp.
  9. Mazo, K.R.F. & Rubite, R.R. (2025) Begonia gigang (section Petermannia: Begoniaceae), a new species from Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Webbia 80 (1): 89–94. https://doi.org/10.36253/jopt-17444
  10. Merrill, E.D. (1912 [1911]) The Philippine species of Begonia. Philippine Journal of Science section C, Botany 6: 369–406.
  11. Moonlight, P.W., Baldaszti, L., Cardoso, D., Elliot, A., Sarkinen, 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
  12. Rubite, R.R. (2012) Delimitation of Begonia L. sections Diploclinium and Baryandra (Begoniaceae) in the Philippines. Asia Life Sciences 21: 363–373.

How to Cite

Blasco, F.A., Alejandro, G.J.D., Cortes, J.C. & Rubite, R.R. (2026) Begonia leasalongae (Section Petermannia, Begoniaceae), a new species from Tago, Surigao del Sur, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Phytotaxa 767 (1): 72–76. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.767.1.8