the.com/begonia
the houseplant that fakes its own flowers and gets away with it.
means A flowering plant grown for its showy blooms and lopsided, often colorful leaves, popular both as a garden and houseplant.
from Named in the late 17th century by the French botanist Charles Plumier to honor Michel Bégon, a French official and patron of plant collecting who had supported expeditions to the Caribbean. The Latinized form 'Begonia' simply turns a man's surname into a flower's name — a botanical thank-you note frozen into the language.
- split sexes
- separate male and female blooms on one plant
- fake petals
- showy parts are colored sepals, not true petals
- named after
- honors Michel Begon, a French governor who collected plants
- edible kick
- some leaves taste tart from oxalic acid
- global reach
- over 2,000 species across the tropics
begonia rex — ornamental houseplant with dramatic patterned leaves, originated in madagascar in 1858
begonia boliviensis — tuberous species native to bolivia and peru, known for bright red flowers
begonia semperflorens — wax begonia widely used in gardens worldwide, continuously flowering hybrid since 1950s