Begonia cucullata Willd.

Clubbed Begonia; Wax Begonia

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Wax Begonia is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Begonia family (Begoniaceae). It is native to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, but is widely cultivated as a warm season annual in the United States. It Alabama it has been found as an escape in the southern third of the state. Wax Begonia occurs along streams, in swamps, on floodplains, and in wet roadside ditches. It is a perennial from a short rhizome. The stems are 1-2 ½ feet in height, branched, green to reddish in color, glabrous to sparsely hairy, and succulent. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, ovate to reniform in outline, with crenate margins. The leaves are glabrous or with a few scattered hairs. The leaves are dark green or reddish above and paler green below. Flowers are produced in axillary cymes. The flowers are white to pinkish in color. Staminate flowers have 4 tepals and 24-33 stamens. The pistillate flowers have 4-5 tepals. The fruit is a winged capsule with many dust-like seed. Wax Begonia is commonly available as a house or bedding plant. It is frost intolerant and often grown as an annual. Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings.—A. Diamond

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Not Native

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