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BEGONIA
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Begonias, genus Begonia, are a large group of succulent herbs, shrubs, and vines that are commonly grown as ornamentals. The genus, which belongs to the family Begoniaceae, includes more than 1,000 species; they are chiefly found in Central and South America, although a few are native to other tropical and subtropical regions. No indigenous species occur in the United States, but a number of species are native to Mexico. Most begonias are annual or perennial herbs with jointed stems; alternate, simple, palmately veined and sometimes lobed leaves; and unisexual flowers.
Begonias are universally used as houseplants because of their ease in culture and wide variety. Among the more than 10,000 horticultural varieties and hybrids that are commonly grown are many with outstanding and unusual foliage. Many also have large, showy, long-lasting flowers that vary in color from white through pink to red and yellow. Because they are susceptible to frost damage, they are usually used as summer bedding plants in the north, being set out after the danger of frost is past and taken indoors in the fall.
The cultivated begonias are commonly divided into three general groups by rootstock: those with fibrous, rhizomatous, and tuberous roots. Among the common fibrous-rooted species are the angel-wing begonia, Begonia coccinea, and the wax begonia, B. semperflorens. The rhizomatous-rooted begonias include the beefsteak begonia, B. feastii, and the rex begonia, B. rex-cultorum. A widely cultivated species of tuberous begonia, B. tuberhybrida, is probably the result of hybridization among several Andean species.
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