New Begonia species discovered in China's Tibet

BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have discovered a new species of Begoniaceae in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, said the Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden.

The new species, Begonia giganticaulis, was named because of its nearly 4-meter height, the tallest Begonia species in Asia.

The researchers identified it as a new species through several field studies, literature research, and comparative morphological and molecular analysis.

The species live near streams or forest slopes at 800 meters to 1,350 meters in altitude. Although the population is growing, it is temporarily regarded as endangered due to its few scattered distribution spots and few individuals.

The finding has been published in the journal Phytokeys.