Begonia serratipetala

Irmsch

Toothed begonia

Begoniaceae Edible: Leaves, Stems 11 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Begonia serratipetala is a species of flowering plant in the genus Begonia, native to New Guinea. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Description

A herb. It grows 45 cm tall. The stems are erect and slender and branched. They are purple red with rusty hairs. The leaves are oval and unequal on opposite sides. They are 10 cm long and crinkled with lobes along the side. They taper to the tip and are heart shaped at the base. There are double teeth along the edge. They are glossy bronze green above with small raised pink dots. They are hairy and purple-red underneath. The flowers are pale pink. The fruit are oval red capsules. There are many seeds.

Edible Uses

The leaves and stems are eaten.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in rainforests and up to 75 m above sea level or higher.

Where It Grows

Asia, Indonesia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea*, PNG, SE Asia,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds or by leaf or stem cuttings.

Also Known As

Begonia gergaji, Teletele

References (6)

Haberle, S., 2005, Ethnobotany of the Tari basin, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. Palaeoworks Technical Paper 6.
Leach, G. J., 1988, Bush Food Plants of the Blackwater and Karawari Rivers Area, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. Science in New Guinea 14(2). p 100 (As Begonia sp.?)
Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 1081
Vink, 1970,
Wood, 1984,

Show all 6 references