A new species of plant has been recorded in the Andean forests of northeastern Colombia. It is Begonia tesselata, a species of the Begoniaceae family that was identified in the village of Pescaderito in the municipality of Málaga in the province of García Rovira, as a result of the degree project carried out by forestry engineer Heidy Caro, a graduate of the Industrial University of Santander, Málaga Campus, in collaboration with Susana Arango, a biologist who graduated from the University of Antioquia.
The project, entitled “Floristic differences between growth habits in remnant montane forests in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia,” began in 2021 and was supported by the Bogotá Botanical Garden (JBB) and the Colombian National Herbarium (COL). During their fieldwork, the researchers recorded 769 individuals distributed across 38 families of angiosperms and 133 species; and for the pteridophyte group, 37 species in 10 families.
The results showed that non-tree species accounted for between 73.9% and 87% of the total terrestrial richness, demonstrating their relevance to the diversity and structure of forests dominated by Quercus humboldtii. One of the most significant findings of the study was Begonia tesselata, which to date has only been recorded in the oak forests of the department of Santander, pointed out Professor Diego Suescún of the forestry engineering program, who accompanied the academic process from the UIS.
In this regard, engineer Heidy Caro explained, “As part of the floristic characterization carried out for the thesis, we not only conducted transects to sample the flora, but we also took a day to do a general collection, that is, walking through the forests collecting only samples with flowers or fruits. In the village of Pescaderito de Málaga, in a heavily disturbed patch of forest surrounded by grasslands, we observed a particular species of the Begoniaceae family.
When I arrived at the herbarium of the Bogotá Botanical Garden to study and identify the collected samples, and did not find a species that resembled the Begonia I had collected, I contacted the expert on the family, Adolfo Jara, a professor at the National University of Colombia, who enthusiastically told me to take the sample to the COL herbarium, and it was there that he told me it was a new species for science.
Begonia tesselata is part of the Casparya section and differs from the other 51 species in this section in that it has a tessellated androecium, meaning that the stamens are globular in shape, with the apices of the anthers expanded without touching each other and arranged in a tessellated pattern. This characteristic makes it unique.
For Susana Arango, co-author of the discovery, this experience has been deeply meaningful.
“We remember very well the moment when this Begonia caught our attention. From the fieldwork to the long hours in the herbariums trying to identify it, the whole process was exciting. Seeing its scientific publication consolidated today fills us with personal and professional satisfaction,” she said.
The Industrial University of Santander extends special thanks to the community of the Pescaderito village in the municipality of Málaga for allowing them to explore their territory for academic research purposes.
This result demonstrates the biological richness of the Santander region and the research potential generated by regions such as the province of García Rovira. The UIS campus in Málaga continues to strengthen its commitment to research, scientific training, and the conservation of Andean ecosystems.
