Beavertail catus see
opuntia
Beefsteak plant see acalypha
Begonia
Species and hybrids of three classes ; rex begonias rhizomatous begonias and basket begonias
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| begonias |
Begonias have been so crossbred that neat classification is impossible. For convenience sake the begonias listed here are divided into three classes based on their dominant characteristic, rex begonias note for their brilliantly colored foliage; rhizomatous begonias, identified by thick succulent stems, or rhizomes, which creep along the top of the soil , sending out long stemmed leaves at their ends, and basket begonias, whose lax stems trail gracefully over the edges of hanging containers to show the undersides of their leaves, which in some varieties are brightly colored.
Yet none of these characteristics are unique to a class ; rex begonias grow from rhizomes, many rhizomatous type have colorful leaves and trailing stems, and many basket begonias grow from rhizomes and also have colorful leaves. In the following descriptions, the predominant characteristic determines the plant’s class.
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| begonias Merry Christmas |
Rex begonias are the most spectacular of the three types. Blended into overlaid on the green leaves can be found a kaleidoscope of colors red, pink, silver, gray, lavender and a maroon sometimes so deep it appears nearly black. Thousand of named varieties have been developed since the original rex begonia was found growing with a potted archid imported into England in 1856. Three excellent ones are Merry Chistmas, also called Rhurthal, 10 t0 12 inch variety whose leaves are like those of Merry Christmas. but are silver colored with green veins, and Helen teupel, about 12 inches tall with pointed, sharply lobed leaves that are purplish red brushed with pink and silver. The leaves are 6 yo 6 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide.
Rhizomatous begonias come in many leaf shapes
and colors. B. erhythrophylla, a pond
Lilly or beefsteak begonia
so called because of the rounded lily pad shape of its leaves and the blood red of their underside become 10
to 12 inches tall but spread as much as
2 feet across , its 5 inch leaves
have glossy green top surface. Bessie Buston, named for a begonia enthusiast who stimulated an interest
in the genius through her writings in the 1930 in a 2 foot tall upright
version of B. erythrophylla with 4
inch leaves and only a 10
to 12 inch spread. Maphil
sometimes called Cleopatra, is extremely
easy to grow , it form a dense compact
mound about 8 inches tall and has 3 to 4 inch star shaped green leaves
irregurarly blotched with brown.
