Begonia ebo sp. nov. (Sect. Filicibegonia-Begoniaceae), endangered in Ebo, a highly threatened forest in Littoral Region, Cameroon

Begonia ebo H.Lockwood sp. nov., a terrestrial herb endemic to Cameroon cloud forest, is described, mapped and illustrated. It is the first species of Begonia Section Filicibegonia known to have yellow flowers (vs pink or white), to have inflorescences that are epiphyllous, appearing to emerge from the upper leaf surface (vs ordinarily axillary) and, also, the first species of the section known to be endemic to Cameroon. It is also endemic to the Cross-Sanaga River Interval. In contrast, six of the nine species of Sect. Filicibegonia are endemic to the interval between the Sanaga River of Cameroon and the Congo River. So far Begonia ebo is only known from inside or adjacent to the Ebo forest, Littoral Region, Cameroon, apart from a single record from the Chaine de Nkohom in Central Region c. 60 km distant. In view of the massive ongoing threats of industrial logging to the Ebo Forest, the stronghold and main centre of this species on current evidence, the conservation status of Begonia ebo is provisionally assessed as Endangered, EN B1 ab(iii) +B2ab(iii).