Begonia cucullata, also known as clubbed begonia,"Begonia cucullata Willd." The PLANTS Database. Natural Resources Conservation Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 25 April 2022. is a species of the Begoniaceae that is native to South American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.Begonia cucullata A common garden plant and part of the section Begonia, it was described in 1805 by Carl Ludwig Willdenow (1765–1812). The specific epithet "cucullata" means "resembling a hood" or "hooded".Begonia cucullata
Description The plant is an upright growing, herbaceous perennial that has almost symmetrical succulent pale green to pale reddish brown leaves that are ovate, glabrous 4–8 cm long and 6 cm wide, with edged, glossy and toothed crenation.database, NODC Taxonomic Code, 1996 Grown as a groundcover, the flowers of the plant are red, pink or white that bloom in the summer or year-round in warmer places, and the fruits have three wings.Begonia cucullata – Wax Begonia
Range Native to South America, wax begonia is also found growing invasively in Florida, namely from the northern and central peninsula west to central panhandle, and also in Georgia. The plant may invade waysides, deforested areas, overgrazed pastureland, and wastelands.Begoniaceae of North America Update
Because they are such prolific seed producers, seeds are thought to be the primary way begonias spread when left unchecked. They can also root very easily, but this may not play much of a role under natural conditions.
Cultivation Older varieties prefer shade, though newer varieties tolerate both full sun and shade. Indoors, they can thrive in a south- or east-facing window, provided they are acclimated when their environment is changed.Langeland, K.A. and K. Craddock Burks. 1998. Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas. IFAS Publication SP 257. University of Florida, Gainesville. 165 pp.
Varieties Begonia × semperflorens-cultorum, marketed commercially as the wax begonia, is a hybrid of at least five species, including B. cucullata. The name wax begonia refers to the thick and waxy leaves of the group.
According to Catalog of Life (February 6, 2017) 6 and Kew Garden World Checklist, these varieties exist: Begonia cucullata Willd.
Begonia cucullata var. cucullata Begonia cucullata var. hookeri (A.DC.) LBSm. & BGSchub. (1941) Begonia cucullata var. spatulata (G.Lodd. ex Haw.) Golding (1982) Begonia cucullata var. subcucullata (C.DC.)
According to Tropicos (February 6, 2017):database, The PLANTS Database, 1996
Begonia cucullata var. arenosicola (C. DC.) LB Sm. & BG Schub. Begonia cucullata var. cucullata Begonia cucullata var. hookeri LB Sm. & BG Schub. Begonia cucullata var. sellowii A. DC. Begonia cucullata var. spatulata (Lodd.) Golding Begonia cucullata var. subcucullata (C. DC.) ined.
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