Begonia hirtella Link, Begoniaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Brazilian begonia, bearded begonia

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Monoecious, fibrous-rooted, short-lived perennial herbs 3-6 dm tall; stems green or red-tinged, erect, branched, covered with long flexuous hairs, especially when younger.  Leaves widely spaced, membranous, blades oblique to petioles, reniform-ovate, (2-) 3-11 cm long, (1-) 2-4 cm wide, upper surface sparsely hirtellous, lower surface sparsely hirtellous only along the principal veins, margins irregularly shallowly toothed and ciliate, petioles usually reddish, 1.5-7 cm long, stipules lanceolate-oblong, 0.7-1.1 cm long, conspicuously long-ciliate, somewhat persistent.  Flowers few, pendent, in branched cymes, bracts deciduous, similar to stipules; staminate perianth parts 2 or 4, outer ones broadly suborbicular, ca. 4-7 mm long, inner ones, when present, narrowly elliptic, ca. 2-3.5 mm long, stamens 10-15, nearly distinct; pistillate perianth parts 5, similar to staminate but smaller.  Capsules ellipsoid, 0.6-0.8 cm long, winged, the larger wing ca. 8-12 mm wide" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 383-384).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized, and sometimes locally common, in disturbed, wet, shaded sites, especially moist banks, 450-940 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 383-384, 1864).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Brazil and Peru (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 383-384). Brazil, Colombia, Guadeloupe; Jamaica; Martinique, Peru (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) (pp. 383-384) Voucher cited: Degener 9766 (US)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 383-384, 1864)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy W./Wagner, Warren L. (1995) (p. 25) Voucher cited: L. Hume & R. Levine 427 (BISH, PTBG, US)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 383-384) East Maui
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2004) (pp. 9-10) West Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer, F. Duvall & L. Nelson H30219 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 383-384)

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)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

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