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Begonia palmata

Common name:		Family:	Begoniaceae
Author:	D.Don.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:	Begonia laciniata (Roxb.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - S. China, Himalayas
Habitat:	Damp shady places[147].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	B. incana[H] B. peltata[H]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	palmata = hand like;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Violales. Begonia family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.6m. . It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

Leaves - cooked[177].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiphlogistic; Astringent.

The roots are antiphlogistic and astringent. They stimulate blood circulation[147]. A decoction is used in the treatment of haematemesis, amenorrhoea and traumatic stagnant blood collection[147].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained soil[200]. Plants do not require high light intensities[200]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7[200].
Plants are probably not winter hardy outdoors in Britain, though they are worth trying in a sheltered woodland position in the milder areas of the country.

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.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Begonia incana (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database

References for Begonia laciniata (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for the family Begoniaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Begonia+palmata
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Begonia+palmata

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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.