Begonia ornithophylla Irmsch.

Herbs, rhizomatous. Rhizomes creeping, 5-12 mm in diam.; internodes 6-15 mm. Leaves all basal; stipules caducous, triangular to broadly ovate; petiole 6-15 cm; blade obliquely ovate to ovate-lanceolate, rarely broadly ovate, 8-18 × 4.5-14 cm, subleathery, basally 5- or 6-veined, tertiary veins weakly percurrent and reticulate, base shallowly cordate, margin coarsely serrate or subentire, apex long acuminate. Inflorescences axillary; peduncle 10-18 cm; pedicel 9-18 mm, pubescent or sparsely sericeous-pilose; bracts ovate or oblong, 1.5-9 × 1-4.5 mm, margin indistinctly serrate, glandulose-ciliate, apex obtuse or acute; flowers pink. Staminate flower: tepals 4, outer 2 broadly ovate to orbicular, 1.2-1.9 × 1.1-1.7 cm, outside pilose to glabrous, base subrounded, apex rounded or obtuse, inner 2 oblong or obovate-oblong, 7-12.5 × 3-5 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse; androecium zygomorphic; stamens 20-40; filaments 1.2-1.8 mm, slightly fused at base; anthers cuneate-obovoid, 1-1.5 mm, apex emarginate. Pistillate flower: tepals 3, outer 2 broadly ovate or suborbicular, 12.5-19 × 14-19 mm, inner 1 oblong, 7.5-12 × 3-4.5 mm; ovary oblong-ovoid, 1-loculed, placentae parietal; styles 3, 4.5-5 mm, fused in lower 1/3. Capsule with 3 subequal, triangular wings, all wings lunate. Fl. Jan-May, fr. Mar-Jun.

Guangxi (Daxin, Longzhou, Ningming).

● On limestone rocks of forest understories; 100-600 m.