BEGONIA, a large genus (family Begoniaceae) of succulent herbs or undershrubs, with about 75o species in tropical moist climates, especially South America and India. Innumerable gar den hybrids and varieties are known which come mainly from species introduced between 1864 and 1867; many are tuberous. The flowers are usually showy and large, white, rose, scarlet or yellow in colour; they are unisexual, the male containing numer ous stamens, the female having a large inferior ovary and two to four branched or twisted stigmas. The fruit is a winged capsule with numerous seeds. The leaves, often large and variegated, are unequal-sided. The plant can be raised from seeds or from cuttings.