Begonia crystallina Y. M. Shui & W. H. Chen

Herbs, rhizomatous. Rhizomes creeping, 6-12 cm, 0.8-1 cm in diam.; internodes 0.2-0.3 mm, hirsute-pilose. Leaves all basal; stipules reflexed, triangular, 5-7 × 3-4 mm, glabrous, apex acuminate; petiole 17-25 cm, hirsute-villous; blade broadly ovate, 12-23 × 11-23 cm, thickly papery, abaxially densely strigose-pilose on veins, adaxially moderately setulose, hairs with slightly tuberculate bases, basally 6- or 7-veined, tertiary veins percurrent and densely reticulate, base obliquely cordate, margin serrulate and ciliate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences 10-15 flowered in a dichasial cyme; peduncle 10-18 cm, sparsely hirsute; bracts ovate, 2-3 × 1.5-2 mm, subglabrous, margin ciliate, apex acuminate. Staminate flowers: pedicels 1-1.1 cm, subglabrous; tepals 4, glabrous, outer 2 pink, orbicular, 0.9-1 cm in diam., inner 2 pinkish, narrowly oblong, 10-11 × ca. 2 mm; stamens numerous; filaments nearly free; anthers oblong, 0.8-0.9 × 0.6-0.7 mm, apex emarginate or orbicular. Pistillate flowers: tepals 3, glabrous, outer 2 pink, orbicular, 7-8 mm in diam., inner 1 pinkish, oblong; ovary coniform, ca. 1 cm, glabrous, 3-winged, 1-loculed with parietal placentation; styles 3, free, ca. 1 mm. Capsule nodding, broadly ovoid, ca. 6 × 6 mm; wings 3, lunate, larger one 2-3 mm, apex subtruncate. Fl. Aug-Jan.

● On crystalline rocks in limestone caves. Yunnan (Malipo).