峨眉秋海棠 e mei qiu hai tang

Herbs, perennial. Rhizome terete, oblique, stout, with numerous slender fibrous roots. Stem short, 4(-20) cm tall or stemless. Basal leaf 1 similar to cauline ones, with long petiole; stipules caducous; petiole 17-27 cm, angular, glabrous; blade abaxially pale green, adaxially deep green or brown-green, ovate-oblong, 12-14 × 11-13 cm, abaxially subglabrous, adaxially subglabrous or sparsely hispidulous, palmately 6-veined, base deeply cordate, margin unequally shortly triangularly toothed (teeth apically awned), apex caudate-acuminate. Scape 13-20 cm tall, angular, glabrous; flowers pink, usually 2-4 in dichotomous cyme; peduncle 13-15 cm, angular, glabrous; pedicel (0.8-)2-3 cm, glabrous; bracts caducous. Staminate flower: tepals 4, outer 2 large, oblong, 1.3-1.8 × 0.8-1.5 cm, apex rounded; stamens numerous; filaments 2-2.5 mm, free; anthers oblong, ca. 1 mm. Pistillate flower: tepals 5 or 6, unequal, variable in shape, outer 2 broadly obovate, 1.2-2.1 × 1-1.3 cm, apex rounded, innermost 1 obovate-lanceolate, ca. 1 × 5-6 mm, apex rounded; ovary oblong or obovoid, ca. 10 × 5 mm, glabrous, unequally 3-winged, 2-loculed, placentae bilamellate; styles 2, short; stigma branched, spirally tortuous and papillose all around. Mature fruit unknown. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep.

● In shrubs by stream banks; 900-1000 m. Sichuan (Emei Shan).

This species is similar to Begonia dielsiana but differs by its adaxially hispidulous leaf blade.