Begonia rex Putz.

Species

Angiosperms > Cucurbitales > Begoniaceae > Begonia

Characteristics

Herbs, to 40 cm tall. Rhizomes elongate, 7-14 mm in diam. Leaves basal; stipules caducous, 1.4-1.5 × 1.6-1.8 cm, membranous; petiole to 35 cm, densely long hirsute; blade abaxially purplish, adaxially dark green with a grayish green or silver horseshoe-shaped spot, ovate to narrowly ovate, asymmetric, 6-33 × 5-21 cm, abaxially sparsely hairy, adaxially long setose, venation palmate, 6-or 7-veined, base oblique, cordate, margin serrulate and ciliate, apex shortly acuminate. Inflorescences 10-13 cm tall, subglabrous. Staminate flowers: pedicel 2.2-3.5 cm; tepals 4, pinkish to pink, glabrous, outer 2 oblong-ovate, 1.3-2 cm × 8-17 mm, apex obtuse to acute, inner 2 oblong-lanceolate, 0.9-1.8 cm × 3.5-8 mm; stamens 100-120; filaments 2-5.4 mm; anthers oblong, 1.3-2.9 mm, apex acuminate. Pistillate flowers: pedicel 2.9-3.1 cm; tepals 5, unequal, elliptic to broadly ovate, glabrous, largest ca. 2 × 1.5-1.7 cm, smallest 1.6-1.8 cm × 6-8 mm, apex acute to obtuse; ovary glabrous, 2-loculed; placentae axile, bilamellate; styles 2, free, 4.4-5.2 mm; stigmas 2-cleft, spiraled. Capsule nodding, unequally 3-winged; abaxial wing ligulate or falcate, 1.5-2.5 cm, apex rounded; lateral wings lunate, 3.5-5 mm. Fl. May, fr. Aug. 2n = 22*.
More
A herb. It grows 40 cm tall. It has a rhizome. The leaves are at the base. The leaf stalks are 35 cm long. The leaves are oval unequal on opposite sides. They are 6-33 cm long by 5-21 cm wide. They are purplish underneath.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality monoecy
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.1 - 0.4
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in forests and on rocks and in caves in valleys. It grows between 400-1,100 m above sea level. In Yunnan.
Light 5-7
Soil humidity 3-5
Soil texture 3-4
Soil acidity 2-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 10-12

Usage

It is used as a substitute for rhubarb (Rheum emodi) CAUTION: The leaves contain rutin.
Uses environmental use gene source medicinal
Edible stems
Therapeutic use Leech infestation (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 15 - 60
Germination temperacture (C°) 21 - 26
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) 1
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Begonia rex unspecified picture

Distribution

Begonia rex world distribution map, present in Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Haiti, India, Myanmar, Taiwan, Province of China, and Viet Nam

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:105573-1
WFO ID wfo-0000825319
COL ID 87Z69
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 446991
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Begonia rex Platycentrum rex Begonia longiciliata