Practical
Plants

Begonia picta

a perennial member of the Begonia genus in the family Begoniaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Begonia
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.2 m
Flower type
monoecious

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - raw or cooked. An acid flavour[4][1][3]. The sour tasting leaf stalks and stems are pickled[6].

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The juice of the plant is drunk to relieve headaches[6]. The crushed leaves are used as a poultice on sore nipples[6]. The root juice is used as an eyewash to treat conjunctivitis[6]. It is also consumed in the treatment of peptic ulcers[6].

Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Ophthalmic
Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The juice of the plant is used as a mordant to fix the colours of vegetable dyes[6].

Product or use
Mordant

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas
Habitat
Shady banks and rock ledges in wetter areas, to 2800 metres[7]. Plants are sometimes found at much higher elevations.
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse and keep the compost moist in a light position. The seed can be very slow to germinate, sometimes taking a year or more[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division Basal cuttings from tubers in spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a well-drained soil[5]. Plants do not require high light intensities[5]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[5]. A tuberous species, it is said to require greenhouse protection in Britain but plants are found at quite high elevations in the Himalayas and these provenances could be hardy in this country[K].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  2. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  4. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  7. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

    ↩

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