A Guide to Begonias of Borneo

About this book

Begonia is familiar as a garden plant grown for its beautiful foliage. Indeed there are few other genera that can challenge Begonia in variety of leaf shapes, colour and patterns. It often comes as a surprise to learn that the forests of Borneo are a hot spot for begonias with almost 200 named species. They grow in the deeply shaded forest understorey from the lowlands to mountain tops and on all rock types including granite, limestone, sandstone and ultramafic rocks.

Readily recognised as a begonia by the very unequal sided leaf, until now it has been difficult if not impossible for naturalists to identify Bornean species. A Guide to Begonias of Borneo aims to overcome this and to spur interest in this fascinating genus by providing profuse illustrations, a brief description and information on distribution, habitat and uses, if any. For those who wish to delve deeper, a list of all known Bornean begonias is provided together with a complete compendium of literature pertaining to Bornean begonias.

Of the 194 begonias known from Borneo, 134 are illustrated here, the great majority for the first time. All Borneo's begonias are endemic, i.e. are found nowhere else in the world, and rather few are widespread with only a handful crossing political boundaries between Brunei, Kalimantan, Sabah and Sarawak.

As you will see from the begonias illustrated in the Guide, several can challenge cultivated ornamental begonias for their stunningly beautiful or striking foliage.

Contents

Foreword   ix

Introduction
   The Genus Begonia in Borneo   1
   Borneo   2
   History   5
   Begonia Diversity   11
   How to Recognise a Begonia?   12
   Pollination and Dispersal   14
   Grouping Begonias   16
   Where to Find Begonias?   18
   Conservation   23
   What Next?   24

A Selection of Species
   Begonia adliniana   28
   Begonia alabensis   30
   Begonia amphioxus   32
   Begonia andersonii   34
   Begonia apiensis   36
   Begonia awongii   38
   Begonia bakunensis   40
   Begonia baramensis   42
   Begonia basintaliana   44
   Begonia belagaensis   46
   Begonia benaratensis   48
   Begonia bengohensis   50
   Begonia bernadusii   52
   Begonia beryllae   54
   Begonia bintang   56
   Begonia bosuangiana   58
   Begonia bruneiana   60
   Begonia burbidgei   62
   Begonia burttii   66
   Begonia calcarea   68
   Begonia chaiana   70
   Begonia chakensis   72
   Begonia chlorocarpa   74
   Begonia chlorosticta   76
   Begonia chongii   80
   Begonia congesta   82
   Begonia conipila   84
   Begonia conniegeriae   86
   Begonia corrugata   88
   Begonia crockerensis   90
   Begonia cyanescens   92
   Begonia danumensis   94
   Begonia dimorpha   96
   Begonia divergens   98
   Begonia doloisii   100
   Begonia erythrogyna   102
   Begonia eutricha   104
   Begonia flammea   106
   Begonia flavovirens   108
   Begonia fuscisetosa   110
   Begonia gibbsiae   112
   Begonia gomantongensis   114
   Begonia gueritziana   116
   Begonia gusilii   118
   Begonia hexaptera   120
   Begonia hullettii   122
   Begonia incompta   124
   Begonia inobongensis   126
   Begonia inostegia   128
   Begonia inostegioides   129
   Begonia jamiliana   130
   Begonia joffrei   132
   Begonia johariana   134
   Begonia jugamensis   136
   Begonia julaihiana   138
   Begonia juliasangii   140
   Begonia kachak   142
   Begonia kasutensis   144
   Begonia keithii   146
   Begonia kiamfeei   148
   Begonia kibambangensis   150
   Begonia kinabaluensis   152
   Begonia kipandiensis   154
   Begonia labiensis   156
   Begonia lailana   158
   Begonia lambii   162
   Begonia lambirensis   164
   Begonia lamriana   166
   Begonia lazat   168
   Begonia linauensis   170
   Begonia lucychongiana   172
   Begonia madaiensis   174
   Begonia magentifolia   176
   Begonia malachosticta   178
   Begonia mariaensis   180
   Begonia matangensis   182
   Begonia melanosticta   184
   Begonia melinauensis   186
   Begonia murumensis   188
   Begonia nagaensis   190
   Begonia niahensis   192
   Begonia nothobaramensis   194
   Begonia oblongifolia   196
   Begonia paoana   198
   Begonia papyraptera   200
   Begonia payung   202
   Begonia pendula   204
   Begonia penrissenensis   206
   Begonia peridoticola   208
   Begonia piring   210
   Begonia plieranensis   212
   Begonia postarii   214
   Begonia prasinimarginata   216
   Begonia propinqua   218
   Begonia punchak   220
   Begonia rambutan   222
   Begonia ramlanii   224
   Begonia rhodochaeta   226
   Begonia rhodoneura   228
   Begonia rhodotricha   230
   Begonia rhombipetala   232
   Begonia roseopunctata   234
   Begonia rotundibracteata   238
   Begonia rubida   240
   Begonia ruthiae   242
   Begonia sabahensis   244
   Begonia sarangica   246
   Begonia serapatensis   248
   Begonia setiamensis   250
   Begonia sibutensis   252
   Begonia simunii   254
   Begonia sirukitii   256
   Begonia speluncae   258
   Begonia stenogyna   260
   Begonia subisensis   262
   Begonia taniana   264
   Begonia tenuissima   266
   Begonia tomaniensis   268
   Begonia umbratica   270
   Begonia vaccinioides   272
   Begonia vanderentii   274
   Begonia vespipropinqua   276
   Begonia vulgare   278
   Begonia xiphophylla   280

A Checklist of Begonias in Borneo   282
Further Reading   285
Acknowledgements    289
Photo Credits    290
Index    291

Customer Reviews