The tallest begonia species in all Asia present in Tibet

With over 2050 identified species, Begonia is among the largest plant genera. Since most begonias are small weeds, a begonia taller than a human is a really uncommon sight. Nonetheless, the newly found Begonia giganticaulis is among the few exceptions.

Flowers of Begonia giganticaulis.

In 2019, Dr. Daike Tian and his colleagues initiated a area survey on wild begonias in Tibet, China. On September 10, 2020, when Dr. Tian noticed an enormous begonia in full bloom throughout surveys within the county of Mêdog, he received immediately excited. After checking its flowers, he was assured it represented a brand new species.

Dr. Daike Tian with a person of *Begonia giganticaulis.* Picture by Qing-Gong Mao

From a small inhabitants with a couple of dozens of people, Dr. Tian collected two of the tallest ones to measure them and put together specimens mandatory for additional examine. One in all them was 3.6 meters tall, the thickest a part of its floor stem near 12 cm in diameter. To measure it appropriately, he needed to ask the driving force to face on prime of the car. With the intention to carry them again to Shanghai and put together dry specimens, Dr. Tian needed to reduce every plant into 4 sections.

A Begonia giganticaulis plant is cut up for easier transportation — A *Begonia giganticaulis* plant is reduce up for simpler transportation. Picture by Daike Tian

To this point, this plant is the tallest begonia recorded in the entire of Asia.

Begonia giganticaulis, lately described as a brand new species within the peer-reviewed journal PhytoKeys, grows on slopes below forests alongside streams at elevation of 450–1400 m. It’s fragmentally distributed in southern Tibet, which was one of many causes that its conservation standing was assigned to Endangered in keeping with the IUCN Pink Listing Classes and Standards.

The research team pose with a specimen of Begonia giganticaulis at the first Chinese begonia show in Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. — The analysis workforce pose with a specimen of *Begonia giganticaulis* on the first Chinese language begonia present in Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Backyard. Picture by Meiqin Zhu

After being dried at a herbarium and mounted on a big board, the dried specimen was measured at 3.1 m tall and a couple of.5 m extensive. To our information, that is the world’s largest specimen of a Begonia species. In October 2020, the guests who noticed it on the first Chinese language begonia present in Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Backyard have been shocked by its big measurement.

At the moment, the employees of Chenshan Herbarium is making use of for Guinness World Data for this specimen.

Analysis article:

Tian D-Okay, Wang W-G, Dong L-N, Xiao Y, Zheng M-M, Ge B-J (2021) A brand new species (Begonia giganticaulis) of Begoniaceae from southern Xizang (Tibet) of China. PhytoKeys 187: 189-205.https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.187.75854