Begonia veitchii
Encyclopedia
Begonia veitchii is a plant
in the begonia
family, Begoniaceae
, which was introduced to Europe in 1866 by Richard Pearce
who discovered it in the Peru
vian Andes
near Cusco
at an elevation of from 10000 feet (3,048 m) and 12000 feet (3,657.6 m). It was named after Pearce's employers, James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London
. It can be found today in the mountains around Machu Picchu
. A later plant collector, Walter Davis
, found Begonia veitchii inhabiting rocky positions by waterfalls, in company with Masdevallia veitchiana
.
Begonia veitchii played an important role in the development of today's popular hybrid cultivar
s and, together with Pearce's other introductions, B. boliviensis
and B. pearcei
, was subsequently hybridized to produce the Begonia × tuberhybrida
cultivar group.
According to Hortus Veitchii, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
, writing in the Botanical Magazine, described this as "the finest species then known", saying:
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
in the begonia
Begonia
Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae and is a perennial. The only other members of the family Begoniaceae are Hillebrandia, a genus with a single species in the Hawaiian Islands, and the genus Symbegonia which more recently was included in Begonia...
family, Begoniaceae
Begoniaceae
Begoniaceae is a family of flowering plants with about 1400 species occurring in the subtropics and tropics of both the New World and Old World. All but one of the species are in the genus Begonia. The only other genus in the family, Hillebrandia, is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and has a single...
, which was introduced to Europe in 1866 by Richard Pearce
Richard Pearce (botanist)
Richard Pearce was a Victorian plant collector, who introduced the tuberous begonia to England, which led to the development of the hybrid begonias grown today.-Early career:Pearce was born at Stoke, Devonport in Devon...
who discovered it in the Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
near Cusco
Cusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
at an elevation of from 10000 feet (3,048 m) and 12000 feet (3,657.6 m). It was named after Pearce's employers, James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
. It can be found today in the mountains around Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
. A later plant collector, Walter Davis
Walter Davis (botanist)
Walter Davis was an English plant collector, who collected in South America for James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London.-Early life:Davis was born at Sarson Street, now part of Amport, near Andover, Hampshire...
, found Begonia veitchii inhabiting rocky positions by waterfalls, in company with Masdevallia veitchiana
Masdevallia veitchiana
Masdevallia veitchiana, also known as Veitch's Masdevallia or King of the Masdevallias, is a species of the Masdevallia genus of orchids....
.
Begonia veitchii played an important role in the development of today's popular hybrid cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s and, together with Pearce's other introductions, B. boliviensis
Begonia boliviensis
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...
and B. pearcei
Begonia pearcei
Begonia pearcei is a plant in the begonia family, Begoniaceae. It was introduced to Europe in 1864 by Richard Pearce who discovered it in the Bolivian Andes and is important in the hybridising of the Begonia × tuberhybrida begonias, the first of which appeared in 1867.-Description:This begonia is...
, was subsequently hybridized to produce the Begonia × tuberhybrida
Begonia × tuberhybrida
Tuberous begonias are a group of Begonia cultivars, regarded as some of the most spectacular of the genus....
cultivar group.
Description
The flowers are bright red-orange. They have rounded petals and are displayed on strong erect stalks well above the foliage.According to Hortus Veitchii, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
, writing in the Botanical Magazine, described this as "the finest species then known", saying:
"Of all the species of Begonia known, this is, I think, the finest. With the habit of Saxifraga ciliata, immense flowers of a vivid vermilion cinnabar-red, that no colorist can reproduce, it adds the novel feature of being hardy in certain parts of England at any rate, if not in all."