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 Begonia cultivars
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Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Begoniaceae is a family of Flowering plants with about 1400 species occurring in the subtropics and tropics of both the New World and Old World. The only other member of the family Begoniaceae is Hillebrandia, a genus with a single species in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian Islands, once known as the Sandwich Islands, form an Archipelago of 19 Islands and Atolls numerous smaller The genus Symbegonia is now included in Begonia. "Begonia" is the common name as well as the generic name for all members of the genus.
With ca. 1500+ species, Begonia is one of the ten largest angiosperm genera. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group The species are terrestrial (sometimes epiphytic) herbs or undershrubs and occur in subtropical and tropical moist climates, in South and Central America, Africa and southern Asia. An epiphyte is an organism that grows upon or attaches to a living plant A(n herb (ˈhɝb or /ˈɝb/ see pronunciation differences) is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties flavor scent or the like South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Terrestrial species in the wild are commonly upright-stemmed, rhizomatous, or tuberous. A stem is one of two main structural axes of a Vascular plant. In Botany, a rhizome is a horizontal stem of a Plant that is usually found underground often sending out Roots and Shoots Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store Nutrients They are used by Plants to overwinter and regrow the next year The plants are monoecious, with unisexual male and female flowers occurring separately on the same plant, the male containing numerous stamens, the female having a large inferior ovary and two to four branched or twisted stigmas. Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of Sexual reproduction systems found across the Plant kingdom The stamen ( Plural stamina or stamens, from Latin stamen meaning "thread of the warp " is the male In the Flowering plants an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or Gynoecium. A gynoecium (from Ancient Greek gyne, "woman" is the Female reproductive part of a Flower. In most species the fruit is a winged capsule containing numerous minute seeds, although baccate fruits are also known. The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. In Botany a capsule is a type of simple dry Fruit produced by many species of Flowering plants A capsule is a dehiscent structure composed of two The word berry has two meanings one based on a botanical definition the other on common identification The leaves, which are often large and variously marked or variegated, are usually asymmetric (unequal-sided). In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis.
Because of their sometimes showy flowers of white, pink, scarlet or yellow color and often attractively marked leaves, many species and innumerable hybrids and cultivars are cultivated. In Biology, hybrid has two meanings The first meaning is the result of interbreeding between two animals or plants of different taxa. A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar The genus is unusual in that species throughout the genus, even those coming from different continents, can frequently be hybridized with each other, and this has led to an enormous number of cultivars. The American Begonia Society classifies begonias into several major groups: cane-like, shrub-like, tuberous, rhizomatous, semperflorens, rex, trailing-scandent, or thick-stemmed. For the most part these groups do not correspond to any formal taxonomic groupings or phylogeny and many species and hybrids have characteristics of more than one group, or fit well into none of them.
The genus name honors Michel Bégon, a French patron of botany. Michel Bégon may refer to Michel Bégon (1638-1710, French naturalist and administrator Michel Bégon (1667-1747, his son Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life
Cultivation
The different groups of begonias have different cultural requirements but most species come from tropical regions and therefore they and their hybrids require warm temperatures. Most are forest understory plants and require bright shade; few will tolerate full sun, especially in warmer climates. In general, begonias require a well-drained growing medium that is neither constantly wet nor allowed to dry out completely. Many begonias will grow and flower year-round but tuberous begonias usually have a dormant period, during which the tubers can be stored in a cool and dry place.
Begonias of the semperflorens group are frequently grown as bedding plants outdoors. A recent group of hybrids derived from this group is marketed as "Dragonwing Begonias"; they are much larger both in leaf and in flower. Tuberous begonias are frequently used as container plants. Although most Begonia species are tropical or subtropical in origin, the Chinese species B. grandis is hardy to USDA hardiness zone 6 and is commonly known as the "hardy begonia". A hardiness zone is a geographically-defined zone in which a specific category of Plant life is capable of growing as defined by Temperature hardiness or ability Most begonias can be grown outdoors year-round in subtropical or tropical climates, but in temperate climates begonias are grown outdoors as annuals, or as house or greenhouse plants.
Most begonias are easily propagated by division or from stem cuttings. In addition, many can be propagated from leaf cuttings or even sections of leaves, particularly the members of the rhizomatous and rex groups.
The cultivar Kimjongilia is a floral emblem of North Korea. Kimjongilia is one of two national flowers of North Korea, named after the leader Kim Jong-il. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia,
Gallery
 A flowering begonia |
 Begonia cultivars come in many different colours, such as yellow |
 A Begonia leaf |
References and external links
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
- American Begonia Society
- Phylogenetic Relationships of the Afro-Malagasy Members of the Large Genus Begonia Inferred from trnL Intron Sequences
- A Phylogeny of Begonia Using Nuclear Ribosomal Sequence Data and Morphological Characters
- A recircumscription of Begonia based on nuclear ribosomal sequences
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