Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum Hort., Begoniaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Begonia semperflorens Link & Otto

Common name(s): [more details]

English: bedding begonia, perpetual begonia, wax begonia

French: bégonia semperflorens

Spanish: begonia perpetua

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Fibrous-rooted, bushy herbs to c. 30 cm high; stems succulent and much-branched.  Leaves with large scarious stipules; petiole reddish, to c. 3 cm long; lamina to c. 8 x 6 cm (larger in cultivation), broadly ovate, usually partly folded lengthways, semi-succulent, glossy above, glabrous except for the sparsely ciliate, reddish, undulate margin; base almost symmetric to somewhat oblique.  Flowers in small axillary clusters toward stem apices.  Male flowers:  sepals 2, 1.5 - c. 2.5 cm diameter, almost orbicular, white, pink or rose; petals 2, c. 1.0 x 0.5 cm, narrowly elliptic-obovate, coloured similarly.  Female flowers smaller; sepals 3; petals 2.  Ovary with 3, broad, pink to red wings.  Stigmas spirally twisted"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 354).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "cultivated in Fiji at low elevations and also an occasional weed in shade houses and along roadsides."  In Samoa, "uncommon to locally common in disturbed mountain forests of central Upolu" (Whistler, 1988; p. 7). In New Zealand, "warmer coastal areas in N. Auckland and Auckland. Roadside banks or steep slopes in and near settlements, either in open sites or in partial shade, an occasional escape from cultivation" (Webb et al., 1988; p. 354).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Brazil (Smith, 1981; p. 691)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Anon. (1988) (p. 1)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 691) Vouchers cited: DA 9573, DA 16746, DA 16749
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 192) Begonia spp. hybrids
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 192) Begonia spp. hybrids
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 21) Voucher cited: MacKee 25712
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 39) Persisting from cultivation.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 192) Begonia spp. hybrids
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 96)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 7)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 354) "Roadside banks or steep slopes in and near settlements, either in open sites or in partial shade, an occasional escape from cultivation".

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 106) Begonia spp. hybrids

Comments:  Other naturalizing begonias in Hawai‘i (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 383-384):
Begonia foliosa Kunth: "cultivated and apparently sparingly naturalized".
Begonia hirtella Link: "naturalized, and sometimes locally common, in disturbed, wet, shaded sites, especially moist banks, 450-940m".
Begonia reniformis Dryander: "naturalized in usually dry, open or shaded, disturbed sites".

Additional information:
Additional online information about Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Anon. 1988. Weed list for American Samoa by cropping system. Checklist dated 07/13/88, origin unknown. 3 pp.

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate. 2004. Report to the Government of Niue and the United Nations Development Programme: Invasive plant species on Niue following Cyclone Heta. UNDP NIU/98/G31 - Niue Enabling Activity. 80 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar. 2003. Report to the Republic of Palau on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 174 pp.

Swarbrick, J. T. 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: a report to Parks Australia. 101 pp. plus appendix.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.