1269

 

Begonia coccinea Hook. 

Synonym	:	Pritzelia coccinea (Hook.) Klotzsch
Family	:	Begoniaceae
Local name	:	English- Angel wing begonia
Flowering and fruiting period	:	March-June
Distribution	:	Occur primarily in Central and South America growing in shady and humid spots of Atlantic forest.
Habitat	:	Shady areas
Endemic/Exotic	:	Exotic
Uses	:	Used as garden plant’
Key botanical characters :   Begonia coccinea has only a few bamboo-like stems up to 1m (3 feet) tall. Leathery, obliquely oblong to ovate leaves are 10-15cm (4-6 inch) long and 5-8cm (2-3 inch) wide with slightly toothed, undulate edges. Leaf surface is grass green tinged at the edges with red above and dull red bellow. The leaves are arranged asymmetrical on stems. Begonia coccinea, with its thick, jointed stems, is an popular fibrous rooted begonia. The flowers are irregular, unisexuate and in axillary, pendulous cymes with red peduncles. The male flowers have 2 large, pink tepals and 2 small tepals in opposite pairs at right angles to each other. There are numerous stamens with short filaments and yellow anthers. The female flowers have 5 pink tepals of unequal sizes attaches above the inferior ovary. The ovary is three-winged and dark pink with 3 styles and a golden yellow, convoluted stigma. The 1cm (0.4 inch) wide, waxy, coral red flowers appear in large, drooping clusters on red stalks from early summer to mid-autumn. The fruit is a triangular capsule, up to 8cm (3 inch) long and three winged.