Science Newsroom, Dec. 30 (EFE). – Begonia, with more than 2,000 known species, is one of the most numerous genera of plants, mostly small, but a new species has been found in Tibet. More than three meters in height.
The discovery of Begonia gigantica, by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published today in the journal Phytoheys.
The team led by Daiki Tian conducted a field study of wild begonias in Tibet and last year found a huge specimen in full bloom.
Begonia gigantica, which is described as a new species, is a segmented distributed in southern Tibet, grows on slopes under forests along waterways at an altitude of 450-1400 m and has been listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in the Red List of Threatened Species.
From a population with a few dozen individuals, the team collected two taller ones to measure and prepare the samples needed for further study. One of them measured 3.6 meters, and part of its root was about 12 cm thick
The largest specimen recovered is 3.1 m high after drying in a herbarium. The team noted that, as far as they know, this is the world’s largest begonia.
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