Begonia amphioxus

Sabah's limestone outcrops, in the humid forests of northern Borneo, are the only place Begonia amphioxus (Sands) grows wild. It is an upright cane species found on moist, humus-rich soil among decaying leaf litter in constantly shaded, humid understory. Slender, segmented red canes carry narrow, lance-shaped leaves in olive to bronzy green, marked with vivid red venation, red margins and dense silvery-pink spotting; the undersides run entirely red. That combination of narrow, pointed leaves, dense spotting and cane habit makes it one of the most recognisable Begonia species in cultivation, and prices among collectors reflect it.

Native range

Sabah, northern Borneo (humid forest, moist limestone outcrops)

Classification

Genus

Begonia

Family

Begoniaceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Upright cane, slender-stemmed

Morphology

Leaf shape

Narrow, lanceolateLance-shaped leaves that are significantly longer than they are wide, tapering to a point at the tip.

Leaf length

5-12 cm

Leaf width

1.5-4 cm

Petiole colour

Short, reddish

Venation

Vivid red venation against bronzy-olive blade

Texture

Thin-coriaceous with silvery-pink spots and red undersides

Variegation

Silvery-pink spots, red venation, red margins (natural species markings)

Growth habit

Upright segmented red canes with airy branching habit