| Begonia acetosa | |
|---|---|
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| At the Victoriaväxthuset botanical garden, Sweden | |
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| Close-up of leaf | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Begoniaceae |
| Genus: | Begonia |
| Species: | B. acetosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Begonia acetosa | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
Begonia cantareirahort. | |
Begonia acetosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Begoniaceae, native to southeastern Brazil. [2] It is used to create new begonia hybrids due to its attractive foliage. [3] [4] Begonia acetosa has been cultivated in the United States since 1946, when Mulford B. Foster introduced the species from forested mountains near Rio de Janeiro. [5] It was first described in 1831 by José Mariano de Conceição Vellozo. The specific epithet acetosa means 'acid' or 'sour', referring to the rhubarb-like taste of its leaves. [5]
Begonia acetosa is an herbaceous, creeping, rhizomatous begonia, growing up to 1 m (3 ft) tall. It has thick, horizontally spreading, pale green branches. Leaves are ovate to orbicular, and asymmetrical. [6] [5] The leaves are a dull green on the upper surface and a deep wine red on the under surface. Both the underside and upper surface of the leaf are covered with a dense layer of short white hairs. Petioles are a rusty reddish brown to a deep red, and covered in short, woolly hairs. The flowers of B. acetosa are white. [6]
When grown in a garden, it needs up to 3 hours of sun to thrive, and flowers from spring to early summer. [7]