Begonia purpureofolia S. H. Huang & Y. M. Shui

This species is similar to Begonia villifolia but differs by its rhizomatous habit and the ligulate abaxial wing of the capsule.

Herbs. Rhizomes elongate, to 1.2 cm in diam. Stems to 100 cm, to 1.5 cm in diam., densely hairy. Leaves basal and cauline; stipules caducous, ovate-lanceolate, 8-19 × 5-9 mm, abaxially densely pilose, margin ciliate, apex acute; petiole 4-24 cm, hairy; blade purple, ovate-triangular, asymmetric, 6.5-23 × 4.5-18 cm, densely hairy, venation palmate, base oblique, cordate, margin irregularly serrulate and ciliate, shallowly lobed, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences hairy; peduncle 8-14 cm; bracts caducous, ovate-lanceolate, 14-15 × 8-9 mm, densely villous, margin denticulate, apex acute. Staminate flowers: pedicel 1.7-2.6 cm; tepals 4, pink, outer 2 ovate, ca. 1.8 × 1.2-1.3 cm, abaxially villous, inner 2 oblong, 1.1-1.2 × ca. 0.7 cm; stamens ca. 150; filaments fused to halfway, 1.6-3.9 mm; anthers obovoid-oblong, 0.9-1.4 mm. Pistillate flowers: pedicel 1.3-1.9 cm; ovary densely villous, 2-loculed; placentae axile, bilamellate; tepals 5, pink, broadly ovate to oblong, unequal, largest 1.5-1.6 × 1-1.1 cm, abaxially pilose, smallest 1.5-1.6 × 0.8-1.1 cm; styles 2, fused to halfway, 3.9-5.1 mm; stigmas 2-cleft, spiraled. Capsule nodding, unequally 3-winged; abaxial wing ligulate, ca. 1.6 × 1.2 cm; lateral wings to 1.2 cm.

Yunnan (Jinping, Pingbian).

● Forest understories; 900-1700 m.