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Begonia boliviensis
I saw this beautiful Begonia boliviensis in front of a house in San Francisco.
Urban front yard landscaping.
Begonia boliviensis is a plant in the begonia family, Begoniaceae, which was introduced to Europe in 1864 by Richard Pearce who discovered it in the Bolivian Andes, although the plant had previously been identified by Hugh Weddell in the same region but not introduced. Begonia boliviensis is of special historical interest to gardeners, being one of the species used by John Seden in the production of the first hybrid tuberous begonia raised in England, B. × sedenii.[2] The plant originates from montane cloud forests on the eastern side of the Andes in Bolivia and Argentina. It is typically found in rock crevices and slopes near streams, where plant competition is low. It was exhibited for the first time at the International Horticultural Show in Paris, in May 1867, when it attracted much attention from both botanists and horticulturists, "more than any other plant then brought to that magnificent exhibition." Wikipedia
I don't know if they are poisonous - but I did eat the flowers when I was little (not this kind)....they were slightly tart, from memory.
Just found something interesting about Begonias - they are related to edible vegetables/fruits like cucumbers, melons and squash !! - Cucurbitales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begonia
Spotted on Dec 18, 2011
Submitted on Dec 22, 2011
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