Begonia gracilis
H. B. K.
Hollyhock begonia
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Summary
Source: WikipediaBegonia gracilis is a species of flowering plant in the family Begoniaceae. It is a small herb widespread in the mountains of Mexico, from Chihuahua to Chiapas, often growing in protected locations in shaded areas.
Description
A herb that keep growing from year to year. It grows 60 cm high and 50 cm wide. The stems are green, slender and erect. They are fleshy and have few branches. The leaves are pale green and fleshy. They are round and 8 cm across. The edges are scalloped. The flowers are pink and 3 cm wide.
Edible Uses
The leaves and stalks have a sour taste and are eaten with other foods. The stems are chewed especially by children, and the leaf stalks are sold in markets.
Traditional Uses
The leaves and stalks have a sour taste and are eaten with other foods.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant. It is best in humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. It needs a shaded position. It is damaged by drought and frost.
Where It Grows
Australia, Brazil*, Mexico, North America, South America,
Cultivation
It can be grown by leaf cuttings, by seed or by tubers.
Other Information
The stems are chewed especially by children. The leaf stalks are sold in markets.
References (6)
- Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 138
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 124
- Mapes, C. & Basurto, F., 2016, Biodiversity and Edible Plants of Mexico. Chapter 5 in R. Lira, et al. (eds.), Ethnobotany of Mexico, Ethnobiology, Springer. p 114
- Laferriere, J. E., 1992, Begonias as Food and Medicine. Economic Botany, Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 114-116
- Piedra-Malagón, E. M. et al, 2022, Edible native plants of the Gulf of Mexico Province. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e80565 p 13
Show all 6 references Hide references
- Yetman, D., 2002, The Guarijios of the Sierra Madre: Hidden People of Northwestern Mexico. University of New Mexico Press. p 183
