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Published In: Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France 58(Mem.8d): 173. 1911[1912]. (Bull. Soc. Bot. France) Name publication detailView in BotanicusView in Biodiversity Heritage Library
 

Project Name Data (Last Modified On 12/8/2019)
Acceptance : Accepted
Taxon Profile     (Last Modified On 10/27/2021)
Description: Epiphyte, growing on tree trunk and thick branches of trees, up to 15 m above the ground. Stems up to 2 m long, loosely branched, often hanging down from the branches, the older parts woody, up to 7 mm in diameter. The species might be dieocious, only seen plants with either male or female flowers, female flowers often two together, forming a complete inflorescence. Tepals 4, white in female flowers, the tepals often pale pink in male flowers. Styles and stigma orange-yellow. Mature seeds very pale yellowish brown. Fruits most often two together, rarely three. Fruits fusiform, brown-red. Placentation ranges from being topographically parietal over less than 40% of the length of the ovary, with the remaining part showing septal placentation (Plana 2002).
Habitus: Epiphyte
Phenology: Flowers have been observed in january, february, march, july, november, and december; fruits in january and february.
Habitat: Known from submontane and montane rainforest, between 800 and 2,000 m in elevation.
Distribution: São Tomé (endemic)
Distribution Note: The species is endemic to São Tomé. The 26 georeferenced specimens represent 16 occurrences. Six of them are located outside of Obô Natural Park (PNOST). One occurrence is located at Monte Café. One occurrence (Exell #414) is located at Macambrarà, and three others are located at the southwestern of Macambrarà near PNOST. One collection (de Wilde #144) was made around Campo Grande outside the limit of the PNOST. About the occurrences located within the PNOST, nine of them occur along the tourist path from Bom Sucesso to Pico São Tomé and Pico Ana Chaves. One collection (Ogonovszky #411) was made at Monte Cabumbé.
Note: Begonia molleri and B. subalpestris are morphologically distinct from each other in flower size and leaf pigmentation, but at the same time conform to the general tetraphiloid morphology (i.e. presence of long fusiform fruits) and are morphologically comparable to their mainland sister taxon B. furfuracea (Plana 2002).
More literature: Ferreira, J.H.P. 1965. Begoniaceae de S. Tomé e Principe. Garcia de Orta (Lisboa) 13: 525-544., Plana, V. 2002. Systematics and biogeography of the Afro-Malagasy fleshy-fruited Begonia (Begoniaceae). Doctoral dissertation, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
Case Study: São Tomé

Conservation assessment     (Last Modified On 10/27/2021)
Red List Category: Endangered
Status of Conservation Assessment: Submitted to Red List
Date of assessment: 11 May 2021
Assessment rationale: Begonia subalpestris is an epiphyte herb up to 2 m high. The species is endemic to São Tomé island and is known from 28 collections made between 1905 (Chevalier #13752) and 2019 (Lachenaud #2873). Two collections (Chevalier #13752, Groenendijk #137) are not considered for this evaluation because they are not precisely located. The remaining 26 specimens represent 16 occurrences. Considering the habitat, which is still important in places of collection, we consider that none of these occurrences has been extirpated. The dispersal ability is conferred by bird vectors (Plana 2002), so these 16 occurrences represent one or two subpopulations. Based on a 2 x 2 km cell size, the area of occupancy (AOO) of this species is estimated as 40 km2, below the upper threshold of the “Endangered” category under subcriterion B2. The extent of occurrence (EOO) is calculated as 58.8 km2, below the upper threshold of the “Critically Endangered” category under subcriterion B1. The nine occurrences located along the tourist path within the Obô Natural Park (PNOST) are threatened by ecotourism activity and represent one location. The occurrence located at Monte Cabumbé is not threatened and represents one location. The two occurrences located at Macambrarà and Campo Grande (outside of protected area) are threatened by agricultural activities (plantations of vegetables) that induce degradation of the quality of the habitat of this species. These two occurrences will probably disappear in a near future and represent one location. The occurrence located at Monte Café is threatened by agricultural activities (coffee plantations) and represents one location. The three last occurrences located at the southwestern of Macambrarà near PNOST are not currently under any threat, but they could be threatened in the near future by ecotourism. So, these three occurrences represent one location. Therefore, these 16 occurrences represent five locations (sensu IUCN 2019), with regards to the most important threat (shifting agriculture). Based on the disappearance of the occurrences in the surroundings of Macambrarà and Campo Grande, we infer a past, and a future decline in its AOO, EOO, the number of locations, and the number of mature individuals. Moreover, we infer a past, current and future continuing decline in the extent and the quality of its habitat. This species is thus assessed as Endangered (EN) B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v).
Disclaimer: This assessment was prepared on 11 May 2021. The map proposed below is only based on the specimens available on Tropicos, therefore, may not correspond to the information provided in the assessment rationale.
Conservation measures: The species should be regarded as an HCV1 (High Conservation Value), and as a consequence, it should be included in the management plan of the Obò Natural Park where it occurs. It should be included in São Tomé and Príncipe’s list of protected species, and the destruction of its habitat and possible harvesting must, therefore, be avoided. Ex situ conservation should be tested, both within São Tomé (Botanical Garden of Bom Sucesso) and internationally (there are at least four ex situ collections BGCI (2021)). Finally, a public awareness campaign must be conducted involving farmers and other private actors, NGOs, scientific institutions, and the São Tomé and Príncipe government, to ensure that the species is taken into consideration when decisions are made that could impact its conservation.

 


 

Specimens whose coordinates are enclosed in square brackets [ ] have been mapped to a standard reference mark based on political units.
 
 
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