Research Paper

Begonia neelamorum (Begoniaceae sect. Monophyllon), a remarkable new species from Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India

Dipankar Borah, Madhusudhan Khanal, Momang Taram, Neelam Gap

Published on: 05 August 2026

Page: 617 - 620

DOI: 10.6165/tai.2026.71.617

  • BibTeX
    •
  • EndNote
    •
  • RIS
    •

    Abstract

    Begonia neelamorum D.Borah & M.Khanal, sect. Monophyllon, is described as a new species from Arunachal Pradesh, India. It closely resembles B. prolifera A.DC. in having a globose tuber, a single, sessile, basifixed leaf with a uniformly light-green lamina, an inflorescence which arises from the base of the sessile leaf blade, and white staminate and pistillate flowers, but differs in its glandular-hispid indumentum, terete stem, ovate lamina with double-serrate margins, a dichasial cyme and shorter styles. The species description is accompanied by illustrations and photographs, and information is provided on its distribution, phenology, ecology, preliminary conservation assessment and similarity to other species.

    Keyword: Arunachal Pradesh, Begonia kayinensis, Begonia oyuniae, Begonia prolifera, Himalaya, Monophyllon, new species

    Literature Cited

    Borah, D., Chowlu, K., Taram, M., Kabeer, A.A., Hughes, M., Shenoy, A. 2025 Begonia himalaica, a new species from the Indian Eastern Himalayas. Nord. J. Bot. 2025(8): e04745.
    DOI: 10.1002/njb.04745View Article Google Scholar

    Borah, D., Taram, M., Das, N., Hughes, M. 2024 Begonia bijantiae, a new species of Begonia from Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India and notes on Begonia ovatifolia. Nord. J. Bot. 2024(12): e04493.
    DOI: 10.1111/njb.04493View Article Google Scholar

    Borah, D., Taram, M., Hughes, M. 2023 Begonia egamii sp. nov. (Begoniaceae), a remarkable new species from Arunachal Pradesh, India. Candollea 78(2): 147–151.
    DOI: 10.15553/c2023v782a5View Article Google Scholar

    Borah, D., Taram, M., Wahlsteen, E. 2021 A new Begonia species from Arunachal Pradesh, and some notes on Begonia scintillans. Taiwania 66(4): 450–454.
    DOI: 10.6165/tai.2021.66.450View Article Google Scholar

    Camfield, R., Hughes, M. 2018 A revision and one new species of Begonia L. (Begoniaceae, Cucurbitales) in Northeast India. Eur. J. Taxon. 396: 1–116.
    DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.396View Article Google Scholar

    Clarke, C.B. 1879 Begoniaceae. In: Hooker, J.D. (ed.), The Flora of British India 2: 636–656. L. Reeve & Co., London.

    Doorenbos, J.M., Sosef, M.S.M., de Wilde, J.J.F.E. 1998 The sections of Begonia including descriptions, keys and species lists: Studies in Begoniaceae VI. Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen.

    Gu, C., Peng, C.-I., Turland, N.J. 2007 Begoniaceae. In: Wu, Z.Y., Raven, P.H., Hong, D.Y. (eds.), Flora of China 13: 153–207. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

    Hughes, M., Moonlight, P.W., Jara-Mu?oz, A., Tebbitt, M.C., Wilson, H.P., Zhong, K., Pullan, M. 2015– (Continuously updated) Begonia Resource Centre. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

    IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2022 Guidelines for using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria. Version 15.1. IUCN, Gland & Cambridge.

    Jain, S.K., Rao, R.R. 1977 A handbook of field and herbarium methods. Today & Tomorrow’s Printers and Publishers, New Delhi.

    Maw, M.B., Hein, K.Z., Naing, M.K., Yu, W.-B., Tan, Y.-H. 2023 Taxonomic studies on Begonia (Begoniaceae) in Myanmar III: Begonia kayinensis (sect. Monophyllon), a remarkable new species from Kayin State, Southern Myanmar. Taiwania 68(4): 407–411.
    DOI: 10.6165/tai.2023.68.407View Article Google Scholar

    Moonlight, P.W., Ardi, W.H., Padilla, L.A. Chung, K.-F., Fuller, D., Girmansyah, D., Hollands, R., Jara-Mu?oz, A., Kiew, R., Leong, W.-C., Liu, Y., Mahardika, A., Marasinghe, L.D.K., O’Connor, M., Peng, C.-I, P?rez, ?.J., T Phutthai,., Pullan, M., Rajbhandary, S., Reynel, C., Rubite, R.R., Sang, J., David Scherberich, Yu-Min Shui, Mark C. Tebbitt, 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 Begonia (Begoniaceae). Taxon 67(2): 267–323.
    DOI: 10.12705/672.3View Article Google Scholar

    Soni, A.K., Shenoy, A., Kumar, A., Anu, M., Borah, D., Kabeer, A.A. 2025 Begonia nyishiorum (Begoniaceae), a new species from Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. Novon 33: 83–88.
    DOI: 10.3417/2025991View Article Google Scholar

    Souvannakhoummane, K., Lanorsavanh, S., Averyanov, L.V., Lamxay, V. 2021 Seven new species and seven new records of Begonia L. (Begoniaceae) in the flora of Laos. Turczaninowia 24(2): 99–119.
    DOI: 10.14258/turczaninowia.24.2.12View Article Google Scholar

    Taram, M., Borah, D., Hughes, M. 2023 Two new records of Begonia for the flora of India from Arunachal Pradesh. Phytotaxa 584(2): 115–120.
    DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.584.2.4View Article Google Scholar

    Taram, M., Borah, D., Krishna, N., Pradeep, A.K., Amrutha, A., Hughes, M. 2020 Begonia oyuniae (sect. Monophyllon, Begoniaceae), a remarkable new species from Northeast India. Gard. Bull. Singapore 72(1): 109–115.
    DOI: 10.26492/gbs72(1).2020-10View Article Google Scholar

    Taram, M., Borah, D., Hughes, M. 2021 Begonia kekarmonyingensis (Begoniaceae), a new species from Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. Phytotaxa 494(3): 268–272.
    DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.494.3.2View Article Google Scholar

    Taram, M., Wahlsteen, E., Borah, D. 2022 Begonia markiana (Begoniaceae), a new species from Lower Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. Taiwania 67(2): 165–170.
    DOI: 10.6165/tai.2022.67.165View Article Google Scholar

    Wahlsteen, E., Borah, D. 2022 A checklist with three new species and two new country records of Begonia from Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Brittonia 74(4): 403–418.
    DOI: 10.1007/s12228-022-09725-9View Article Google Scholar

    Yue, M.M., Li, J.W., Wang, L., Zeng, X.D., Wang, P.Y., Ding, H.B. 2023 Begonia prolifera A. DC., a newly recorded species of Begoniaceae from China. Plant Sci. J. 41: 421–424.