Species
B. geranioides
Photos
5 photos
Identity
- Genus
- Begonia
- Name
- B. geranioides
- Author
- J. D. Hooker, Bot. Mag.
- Publication Date
- 1866
- Country
- South Africa
- Region
- Africa
- Section
- Augustia
- Plant Type
- Tuberous
- Reference
- Bot. Mag. 92.:pl. 5583. 1866.; JGSL9/08
- Article References
- Wiener illustrirte Garten-Zeitung, jahr. 15, (1890); Tebbit, Begonias 5:216. 2005.
Plant
- Description
- Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, v. 92 = ser. 3, v. 22, 1866 B geranioides The genus Begonia, though abounding in both tropical Asia and America, is comparatively rare in Africa. In A. De Candolle's monograph of the genus (Prodr. vol. xv.), out of upwards of three hundred described species, only about five are natives of continental Africa, and though a few have subsequently been added in this Magazine (B. baccata, Tab. 5554, B. mannii, Tab. 5434), and others, still undescribed, are contained in the herbarium, the total number is as yet under a dozen. The present species, which was imported from Port Natal by Messrs. Backhouse, of York, and sent by them to the Magazine, belongs to the same section with all the other South African species, viz. B. dregei, (Tab. nostr. 3720), B. natalensis (Tab. nostr. 4841), and the little-known B. suffruticosa: all inhabit the eastern coast and mountains. B. geranioides is a very elegant species, and forms a very pretty greenhouse ornament. Description: A rather small species; the plant sent by Messrs. Backhouse is ten to fourteen inches high, throwing up numerous flowering stems and a crown of radical leaves. Radical leaves three to five inches in diameter, orbicular-reniform, obscurely seven to nine-lobed, bilobed at the base; lobes very obtusely crenate, deep green above pale beneath, with a few, scattered, weak paleaceous hairs; nerves pale reddish; petioles stout, bright red; stipules ovate-lanceolate, ciliate, entire or serrate above. Scapes numerous, trichotomously branched stout many flowered; bracts broadly ovate, obtuse, toothed above, ciliate. Flowers nodding, an inch in diameter, pure white. Male flowers: sepals two nearly orbicular. Petals two, similar. Stamens short; filaments free, as long as the oblong anther. Female flowers: Sepals two and petals three, like those of the male. Ovary three-winged three-celled; wings two projecting in an obtuse angle, the other more obtuse. Placentae entire, covered with ovules. Style cleft to the middle into three, reniform, papillose stigmas, whose extremities are twisted. - J. D. H.; Wiener illustrirte Garten-Zeitung, jahr. 15, (1890) B. geranioides: The geranium-leaf begonia, Begonia geranioides, shown in Fig. 58 after Damman's catalog, comes from the cool mountain country south of Natal, and has been repeatedly discussed and pictured in English pamphlets. It is, therefore, actually a cool preference plant, but it can also be cultivated in a sheltered place in the open air, for instance near cool waters or grottos. The full sun and wind are too harsh for them. They are also treated like the much-cultivated hybrid tubers, keep the tubers dry during the period of rest, and plant them on cool dung-beds in time to protect the plants from rain and wind, or in pots. A fresh cool location is best for their prosperity; loam mixed with sand is best. Great heat and wet damage; plenty of cool fresh air must be supplied to her. Cultivated in the house, the plants develop splendidly, and the yield of beautiful cut flowers is large. The roundish leaves are fresh green and appear already in March to April in dense bush from the walnut-sized brown tuber. In September the flowering stems develop, which, very rich in flowers, cover the whole plant with snowy white, so to speak. (In Haage & Schmidt's catalog of plants this species has orange-brick-red flowers?) If properly cultivated, this tuberous begonia is one of the most beautiful, which has been introduced so far.
Lineage
Parents
No parentage recorded.
Descendants
No recorded descendants.
Culture
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