Native records: 1 botanical areas
Brazil Southeast
See all areasNatural distribution
Explore mapNativeIntroducedUncertain
Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.
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Distribution last verified:
An evergreen perennial in the family Begoniaceae, native to the Atlantic forests of south-eastern Brazil (notably Rio de Janeiro). It is immediately recognisable by silver-white polka dots on the upper leaf surface, a deep red underside, and bamboo-like jointed stems. One of the most widely cultivated begonias indoors.
Description
An erect, suffruticose perennial to about 1–1.5 m tall, with cane-like, jointed green stems (hence the bamboo-like habit). Leaves are alternate, oblong-elliptic, 10–20 cm long, with wavy-toothed to shallowly lobed margins; the upper surface is dark green with an even scatter of silvery-white spots (the 'polka dots'), the lower surface deep red-purple. Inflorescences are pendent cymes from the leaf axils, bearing unisexual pink-white flowers on the same plant; male flowers have four tepals, female flowers five, the female flower's inferior ovary with three unequal wings. Native to the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest (Mata Atlântica), growing on shaded, humid forest floors and along streams. Widely grown as an ornamental for its foliage and cane-stem habit; propagated easily by stem cuttings.
Habitat
A narrow endemic of the Brazilian Atlantic forest (Mata Atlântica) of south-eastern Brazil, centred on Rio de Janeiro state. POWO records a single WGSRPD level-3 region, 'Brazil Southeast', as native range. Found in humid subtropical to tropical montane rain forest on shaded forest floors and along streams.
Distribution areas
Argentina
- Argentina NortheastIntroduced
Brazil
- Brazil SoutheastNative
Cuba
- CubaIntroduced
Dominican Republic
- Dominican RepublicIntroduced
Mexico
- Mexico GulfIntroduced
- Mexico NortheastIntroduced
- Mexico SoutheastIntroduced
Climate of the native range
The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.
- Aw Tropical, savannah
- Cwa Temperate, dry winter, hot summer
The same climate occurs in 54 areas worldwide, 51 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map
A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).
Other names
Polka dot begonia、Cane begonia、Spotted begonia、Trout begonia
- Family
- Begoniaceae
- Genus
- Begonia
Other species in Begonia
Sources
World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Argentina · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open sourceWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Brazil · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open sourceWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Cuba · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open sourceWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Dominican Republic · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open sourceWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04
Mexico · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv
Open source