PAGADIAN
CITY – Researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences have reported a new subspecies of Begonia in Mount
Timolan Protected Landscape in Zamboanga del Sur province.
Begonia is
a genus of perennial flowering plants in
the family Begoniaceae. The genus
contains more than 2,000 different plant species. The Begonias are native to
moist subtropical and tropical climates. Some species are commonly grown
indoors as ornamental houseplants in
cooler climates. In cooler climates some species are cultivated outside in
summertime for their bright colorful flowers, which have sepals but no petals.
In
ongoing taxonomic studies of the genus Begonia, the researchers and their
collaborators collected a population of peculiar Begonia section Petermannia
species, according to a report by Phys.org.
The
report, attributed to Zhang Nannan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said
after meticulously examining its morphology and comparing it with
protologues and available digitized type specimens from across the Philippines
and neighboring countries, the researchers confirmed it as a subspecies of
Begonia bangsamoro that is new to science.
The new
subspecies was named as Begonia bangsamoro subp. Bagasa and published in Phytotaxa.
It is the 17th representative of the genus Begonia for Zamboanga Peninsula.
The new
subspecies is a terrestrial, monoecious, perennial herb, up to 30 cm long. It
differs from Begonia bangsamoro subspecies bangsamoro in having staminate and
pistillate flowers with much narrower and elongate tepals.
The new
subspecies is endemic to the Zamboanga Peninsula. It was found in deeply shaded
lower montane forest with damp soil growing along the trail with an elevation
of 700–900 m a.s.l. It was also found growing as a terrestrial, lithophyte and
as a climber on tree ferns.
The
conservation status of the new subspecies is proposed as “least concern” following the
International Union for Conservation of Nature Standards.
The Mount
Timolan Protected Landscape is a protected area covering Mount
Timolan and its surrounding forested landscape. The park encompasses an area of
1,994.79 hectares (4,929.2 acres) and a buffer zone of 695.39 hectares (1,718.3
acres) in the municipalities of San Miguel, Guipos and Tigbao.
It was
established on August 14, 2000 through Proclamation Order No. 354 issued by
then President Joseph Estrada. The park was also earlier established
by the provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur as a provincial park and
wildlife sanctuary known as the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial
Park through Provincial Ordinance No. 3 in 1992.
The
presence of various microhabitats is reflected in the diversity of flora and
fauna found there. However, limited information is available and biodiversity
studies are scarce up until now. (Mindanao Examiner)
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