64. Begonia handelii Irmscher, Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 58: 24. 1921.
香花秋海棠 xiang hua qiu hai tang
Herbs, dioecious. Rhizomes prostrate, 8-19 mm in diam. Leaves on rhizome; stipules caducous, narrowly triangular to ovate, 15-28 × 9-10 mm, membranous, apex acuminate or cuspidate; petiole 13-38 cm, sparsely hairy to glabrous; blade broadly ovate to ovate, asymmetric, 8-29 × 6-18 cm, both surfaces glabrous, subglabrous, or red pilose, venation palmate-pinnate, 7-9-veined, base obliquely cordate, margin irregularly denticulate, apex acute or acuminate. Inflorescences reduced, glabrous to pilose; staminate inflorescences erect, with numerous flowers; pistillate inflorescences pendulous, 2-4-flowered; bracts caducous, ovate-lanceolate, 8-15(-20) × 5-9 mm, margin entire, apex acuminate. Flowers fragrant, white to pink; staminate flowers: pedicel 2-4.5 cm; tepals 4, outer 2 ovate, (0.8-)3-5.5(-6.5) × 1.8-2.7 cm, apex acute or obtuse, inner 2 narrowly oblong or linear, 1.8-11 cm × 5-24 mm, apex obtuse; stamens more than 100; filaments 2-4.1 mm, free; anthers oblong, 2-3.1 mm, apex rounded. Pistillate flowers: pedicel 2-3 cm; tepals 4, outer 2 elliptic, 2.1-3 × 1.8-2.1 cm, apex rounded, inner 2 narrowly oblong or linear, 6-15 × 1.9-8 mm, apex rounded; ovary obovoid, hairy or glabrous, 4(-8)-loculed; placentae axile, forked once or twice; styles 4, 5.1-7.2 mm, forked once or twice; stigmas 2-cleft, spiraled. Fruit pendulous, wingless or 4(-8)-horned. Fl. Jan. 2n = 66*.
Forests, variable vegetation, shaded moist environments; 100-1500 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan [Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam].