(article originally appearing in the October 2000 issue of The Baltimore Areole, newsletter of The Cactus & Succulent Society of Maryland)

Begonias are well known as ornamental plants but are seldom considered as succulents.

It is true that the popular "Wax Begonias" (Begonia semperflorens-cultorum hybrids) are very drought resistant but they are never included in succulent plant collections. There are many tuberous rooted species and hybrids of Begonia and among them are a few species with epigeal (above ground) tubers. Begonia experts call them semi-tuberous but succulent growers know them as caudiciform.

In South Africa, all the native Begonia species are tuberous and among these, B.dregei and B.homonyma produce epigeal tubers.

In the revision of tuberous African species in sections Augustina and RostroBegonia, Irmscher (1961) recognized twelve species from South Africa. Hilliard (1976) greatly reduced the number of native South African species to five with B.dregei being the most variable and widespread in the eastern Cape, Natal and Zululand. B.dregei has been called the 'Flask Begonia' or 'Bottle Begonia' for the shape of its tuberous caudex.

Hilliard (1976) divided B.dregei Otto & Dietrich into five groups on the basis of leaf shape. Plants with leaf shapes intermediate between the groups are also found in the wild. Several of the extreme forms are still offered in the horticultural trade as separate species. The leaves may be white spotted in some forms.

Closely allied in South Africa is Begonia homonyma Steudel (syn. B.caffra Meissner) which differs by having much larger, usually unlobed, often white spotted leaves. This species might be better considered a subspecies of B.dregei.

Begonia x weltoniensis is an old garden hybrid between B.dregei and B.sutherlandii that is outstanding for its more showy pink or white flowers.

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Begonia dregei Otto & Dietrich, Allg. Gartenzeitung 4: 357 (1836)
syn. Augustia dregei (Otto & Dietrich) Klotzsch, Monatsb. Ber. Acad 124 (1854), Abh. Akad. Berl. 80 (1855)
Begonia parvifolia sensu Graham, Edinb. New. Phil. Journ. 24: 91 (1838), in Curtis's Bot. Mag. 66: t. 3720 (1839) not Schott (1827)
Begonia suffruticosa Meissner, Linnaea 14: 502 (1840)
Augustia suffruticosa (Meissner) Klotzsch, Monatsb. Ber. Acad 124 (1854), Abh. Akad. Berl. 82 (1855)
Begonia suffruticosa fa. bolusii Irmscher in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 81: 143, t. 6, fig. 2 (1961)
Begonia suffruticosa fa. worsdellii Irmscher in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 81: 143 (1961)
Begonia natalensis Hooker in Curtis's Bot. Mag. 81: t.4841 (1855)
Augustia natalensis (Hooker) Klotzsch, Monatsb. Ber. Acad 181 (1854), Abh. Akad. Berl. 81 (1855)
Begonia richardsiana T.Moore, Gard. Chron. 31: 1065, fig. 243 (1871)
Begonia richardsoniana Houllett, Revue Horticole 44: 333, fig. 35 (1872) sphalm.
Begonia richardsii hort.
Begonia richardsonii hort.
Begonia partita Irmscher in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 81: 143, tab. 10, fig. 2 (1961)
Begonia dregei var. macbethii hort. ex Irmscher in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 81: 131 (1961)

Begonia dregei group 1 'Dregei'
Leaves more or less regularly serrate margined.

Begonia dregei group 2 intermediates between 'Dregei' and 'Natalensis'

Begonia dregei group 3 'Natalensis' (B.natalensis Hooker)
Leaves rhombical, more or less triangular margined.

Begonia dregei group 4 'Partita' (B.partita Irmscher)
Leaves two to four long and often narrow lobes.

Begonia dregei group 5 'Suffruticosa' (B.suffruticosa Meissner, B.richardsiana T.Moore)
Leaves deeply palmate dissected and with secondary lobing. This is the choicest form with its fern-like foliage.

Begonia homonyma Steudel, Nom. Bot. (ed. 2) 194 (1840)
syn. Begonia sinuata E.Meyer ex Otto & Dietrich, Allg. Gartenzeitung 4: 357 (1836, Nov.) not Wallich ex Meissner (1836, Aug.)
Begonia dregei var. sinuata (E.Meyer) A. D.C., Prodromus 15 (1): 384 (1864)
Begonia sinuata Graham, Edinb. New Phil. Journ. 24: 192 (1838) isonym
Begonia caffra Meissner, Linnaea 14: 501 (1841)
Augustia caffra (Meissner) Klotzsch, Monatsb. Ber. Acad 124 (1854), Abh. Akad. Berl. 81 (1855)
Begonia dregei var. caffra (Meissner) A. D.C., Prodromus 15 (1): 384 (1864)
Begonia favargeri Rechinger, Ann. Naturh. Hofmus. Wein 20: 33, tab. 1 (1905)
Begonia caffra var. favargeri (Rechinger) Irmscher in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 81: 137 (1961)
Begonia rudatisii Irmscher in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 81: 129 (1961)

Begonia x weltoniensis Hort. ex Andre, Gard. Chron. (ser. 2) 28: 1068 (1868) nom.; J.B. Weber, Revue Horticole 47: 105-107 (1875); F. Meyer, Die Gartenwelt 57: 179-180 (1957)
(Begonia dregei Otto & Dietrich X Begonia sutherlandii J.D. Hooker)

References

Hilliard, O.M. (1976) BegoniaCEAE in Ross, J.H. (ed.), Flora of Southern Africa 22: 136-144, figs 44-46.

Irmscher, E. (1961) MONOGRAPHISCHE REVISION DER BegoniaCEEN AFRIKAS. I. SEKT. AUGUSTIA UND ROSTROBegonia SOWIE EINIGE NEUE SIPPEN AUS ANDEREN SEKTIONEN. Engler Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 81: 106-188, t. 4-11.

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