Begonia picta -

Family:	Begoniaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.2
Synonyms:
Range:	E. Asia - Himalayas

Begonia picta () is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.2m . It has a hardness rating of 0.
The flowers from this plant are monoecious (both sexes are found on the plant but each flower is either male or female) and they are pollinated by

Soil Information

Begonia picta will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Begonia picta prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Shady banks and rock ledges in wetter areas, to 2800m[51]. Plants are sometimes found at much higher elevations.

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Works within dappled Shade

Cultivation Details

Requires a well-drained soil[200]. Plants do not require high light intensities[200]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[200]. A tuberous species, it is said to require greenhouse protection in Britain but plants are found at quite high elevations in the Himalayas and these provenances could be hardy in this country[K].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Leaves - raw or cooked. An acid flavour[2, 105, 177]. The sour tasting leaf stalks and stems are pickled[272].

• Leaves -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 2/5
The juice of the plant is drunk to relieve headaches[272]. The crushed leaves are used as a poultice on sore nipples[272]. The root juice is used as an eyewash to treat conjunctivitis[272]. It is also consumed in the treatment of peptic ulcers[272].

• Anodyne - Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.
• Ophthalmic - Treats eye complaints.
• Poultice - A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
• Stomachic - Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse and keep the compost moist in a light position. The seed can be very slow to germinate, sometimes taking a year or more[134]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division Basal cuttings from tubers in spring.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

The juice of the plant is used as a mordant to fix the colours of vegetable dyes[272].

• Mordant - Used for making a dye more permanent, it also affects the colour of the dye.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flowers of the Himalayas.
Polunin. O. and Stainton. A.
Author: Polunin. O. and Stainton. A.
Rating:
Publisher : A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.
Date of Publication : 1984

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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