Begonia ornithopedata (sect. Coelocentrum), a new species with the bird-foot shaped leaves from Guangxi of China

Begonia ornithopedata (sect. Coelocentrum), a new species with the bird-foot shaped leaves from Guangxi of China

China is highly rich in diversity of Begonia, and in which Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, following Yunnan province, has the second highest number of Begonia species. As a distribution center of Begonia sect. Coelocentrum, Guangxi already had 58 species recognized in this section. In this paper, Begonia ornithopedata, a new taxon of B. sect. Coelocentrum from southwestern Guangxi is described. With the bird-foot-shape lobed leaves, the new species is easily distinguished from any of other taxa, excepting few similarities only in leaf morphology of B. laminariae Irmsch. and B. circumlobata Hance. Its conservation status is assigned as the Endangered according to The Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories.