Language: English
ISBN/ISSN: 9789869351355
Published on: 2018-06
Hardcover
300 Species Portraits of Asian Begonia,Of the 1865 Begonia Species accepted at the time of going to press, 963 are native to Asia. The map above shows the distribution of the genus in Asia, based on herbarium specimen records. This map highlights the habitat preferences of Begonia sepeis, which live in montane environments with at least part of he year being very wet. Drier areas (such as the interior of the Indian subcontinent) and lowland rainforests (such as southern New Guinea and borneo and eastern Sumatra) are devoid of Begonia. The highest density of species is found in the equatorial montane forests, with Borneo and New Guinea having large expanses of this habitat and correspondingly high numbers of species (241 and 122 respectively). Howerver it is estimated that hundreds of species still remain to be discovered from these islands. Our knowledge of Begonia has been greatly augmented by living collections, which provide materials for taxonomic, phylogenetic, anatomical, cytogenetic and genomic research. In addition living collections form a valuable conservation resource, both in their own right and as a tool to enthuse and educate visitors about the importance of conserving Begonia and their natural habitats. The authors drew on three living collections to provide material for this book; at Academia Sinica, Taipai; The Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. These collections are highlighted on the following pages.
Preface
Introduction
Begonia Living collections
Academia sinica
Koo Botanic Conservation Center
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Species Portraits
Index
Acknowledgements
Image Credits
