Begonia sonderiana Irmsch.

A glabrous, herbaceous perennial herb, often tuberous or the stem decumbent at the base, the nodes swollen and rooting. Stems up to 1 m tall, stout, fleshy, often pinkish or reddish, simple or branched, leafy throughout. Stipules lanceolate, membranous, brown. Leaves obliquely ovate-acuminate, up to 18 x 14 cm, but often only about half that size, base cordate, margin 5-7-lobed, lobes more or less triangular, coarsely and irregularly toothed or occasionally crenate, light green and waxy above, paler below, veins often reddish, petioles up to 15 cm long, often reddish. Inflorescences in the upper leaf axils. Flowers up to 3 cm across, usually pink, sometimes white or white flushed pink, tepals of <3 flowers usually 4, occasionally 2 or 3, of 9 flowers usually 5. Fruits 3-winged, more or less rounded-oblong or cuneiform in outline, 2 x 2-3 cm across the wings, placentae split, appearing bifurcate in transverse section.