BegoniaisagenusofperennialfloweringplantsinthefamilyBegoniaceae.Thegenus

containsabout1,400differentplantspecies.TheBegoniasarenativetomoistsubtropical

andtropicalclimates.Somespeciesarecommonlygrownindoorsasornamental

houseplantsincoolerclimates.Incoolerclimatessomespeciesarecultivatedoutsidein

summertimefortheirbrightcolourfulflowers,whichhavesepalsbutnopetals.

DescriptionWithmorethan1,600species,Begoniaisthesixthlargestangiospermgenus.[1]Thespecies

areterrestrial(sometimesepiphytic)herbsorundershrubs,andoccurinsubtropicaland

tropicalmoistclimates,inSouthandCentralAmerica,Africa,andsouthernAsia.Terrestrial

speciesinthewildarecommonlyuprightstemmed,rhizomatous,ortuberous.Theplantsare

monoecious,withunisexualmaleandfemaleflowersoccurringseparatelyonthesame

plantthemalecontainsnumerousstamens,andthefemalehasalargeinferiorovaryand

twotofourbranchedortwistedstigmas.Inmostspecies,thefruitisawingedcapsule

containingnumerousminuteseeds,althoughbaccatefruitsarealsoknown.Theleaves,

whichareoftenlargeandvariouslymarkedorvariegated,areusuallyasymmetric

(unequalsided).

TaxonomyThegenusnameBegonia,coinedbyCharlesPlumier,aFrenchpatronofbotany,and

adoptedbyLinnaeusin1753,honorsMichelBgon,aformergovernoroftheFrenchcolony

ofSaintDomingue(nowHaiti).