Begonia foliosa Kunth, Begoniaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment).

Common name(s): [more details]

English: fern begonia, fern-leaf begonia, fuchsia begonia

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Monoecious, succulent subshrubs 3-12 dm tall, from fibrous roots; stems erect, many-branched, subglabrous.  Leaves numerous, distichous, closely spaced, blades in line with petioles, oblong-obovate to oblong-elliptic, slightly asymmetrical, 1.2-5 cm long, 0.8-1.5 (-2) cm wide, glabrous or with a few hairs along the veins, margins crenate-serrate and sparsely ciliate, petioles 0.3-0.5 (-0.8) cm long, stipules brown, oblong-lanceolate, 0.4-1 cm long, somewhat persistent.  Flowers 2-30, pendent, in cymes 5-10 cm long, these sometimes arranged in leafy panicles, pedicels 5-25 mm long, bracts similar to stipules, persistent; staminate perianth parts 4, white to red, outer ones broadly ovate, 6-16 mm long, inner ones narrowly obovate and slightly shorter, stamens numerous; pistillate perianth parts 5, white to red, subequal, elliptic, 6-13 mm long.  Capsules broadly ellipsoid, the largest wing ovate, ca. 10 mm wide" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 383).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "cultivated and apparently sparingly naturalized" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 383).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Colombia and Venezuela (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 383). Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 383) Voucher cited: Rock 12996 (BISH) Sparingly naturalized.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Imada, Clyde (2007) (p. 35) Voucher cited: S. Perlman & B. Garnett 16703 (BISH)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Comments:  Reported as possibly an invasive plant in the Hawaiian Islands per Staples et al., 2000.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Begonia foliosa, please let us know.