Monday, July 20, 2026

[Botany • 2026] Begonia leasalongae (Begoniaceae, sect. Petermannia) • A New Species from Tago, Surigao del Sur, Mindanao Island, Philippines


Begonia leasalongae  Blasco, Alejandro & Rubite, 

in Blasco, Alejandro, Cortes et Rubite, 2026. 

 Abstract
A new species of Begonia section Petermannia, Begonia leasalongae, from Surigao del Sur is described and illustrated. It grows on shady, moist, rocky slopes alongside a small creek in sitio Cabugi, Unidos, Tago, Surigao del Sur. The new species resembles Begonia noraaunoriae in having erect stems, obovately oblong leaves, 2-tepaled staminate flowers, 5-tepaled pistillate flowers and an upright capsule, but differs in having stems with setose white hairs (vs. glabrous), lanceolate stipules with an aristate apex (vs. obovately oblong with a roundly acute apex), and capsule with setose white hairs (vs. glabrous). The species is named in honor of Lea Salonga. Based on IUCN criteria, we propose its conservation status as Data Deficient (DD), as only one population is currently known.

Begonia agusanensis, Begonia noraaunoriae, flora, setose, Taxonomy, Eudicots, Caraga Region, Surigao provinces, vascular flora

Begonia leasalongae Blasco, Alejandro & Rubite 



FREDDIE A. BLASCO, GRECEBIO JONATHAN D. ALEJANDRO, JUNELITO C. CORTES and ROSARIO R. RUBITE. 2026. Begonia leasalongae (Section Petermannia, Begoniaceae), A New Species from Tago, Surigao del Sur, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Phytotaxa. 767(1); 72-76. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.767.1.8 [2026-07-16]