Assessing conservation status of Peninsular Malaysian Begonias

Following the revision of Peninsular Malaysian Begonia, a project that involved extensive fieldwork, we now have sufficient data to assess their conservation status. Out of 54 taxa, 48 are endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. No fewer than 30 taxa are known from fewer than five localities; 24 taxa are Critically Endangered (CR), 3 are Endangered (EN) while 4 are Vulnerable (VU). One taxon is Extinct (EX), the 22 remaining are Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC) and Data Deficient (DD). We discuss how the assessment was carried out and the implications for the long-term conservation of Begonia. The most significant conservation measure proposed here is the gazettement of limestone hills as totally protected areas.