Begonia lushaiensis - Lushai Begonia

Lushai Begonia is a tuberous, erect, herb, 10-30 cm high. It is names for Lushai Hills in Mizoram. Flowers are borne in racemes in leaf-axils or at branch-ends, several. Flower-cluster-stalks are densely hairy, central axis 5-12 cm long, strongly branched. Bracts are nearly round, 7-8 x 5-7 mm, densely finely velvet-hairy, margin toothed, semi-persistent. Male flowers have flower-stalk 1 cm long, tepals 4; outer tepals round, 5-10 x 5-10 mm, dark pink, hairy on reverse near base, margin entire; inner tepals lanceshaped, about 5 x 3 mm, dark pink, hairless; androecium with 10-15 stamens, symmetric. Female flowers have flower-stalk 1-1.5 cm long, hairless; bracteoles absent; tepals 4-5, equal, rounded to oblong-ovate, outer tepals 5-10 x 4-6 mm, dark pink, hairy on reverse near base, margin entire, inner tepals similar yet smaller and hairless. Stem is slender, 2-5 mm wide, sparsely to densely hairy, internodes 3-10 cm long. Stipules are ovate, about 10 × 5 mm, semi-persistent. Leaf-stalks are 2-5 cm long, hairy, blade triangular-ovate, basifixed, base heart-shaped with lobes not overlapping, 2-8 x 1-4 cm, asymmetric, upper surface green, sparsely finely velvet-hairy. Lushai Begonia is found in NE India and Myanmar, at altitudes of 1200-1300 m. Flowering: July-September.