Species
B. alice-clarkiae
Photos
5 photos
Identity
- Genus
- Begonia
- Name
- B. alice-clarkiae
- Author
- Rudolf Ziesenhenne, Begonian
- Publication Date
- 1976
- Place
- Chiapas
- Country
- Mexico
- Region
- America
- Section
- Gireoudia
- Chr 2n
- 28
- Plant Type
- Shrub-like
- Reference
- Begonian 43:65, pl. .1976. "alice–clarkae."; JGSL9/08;
- Article References
- The Begonian (43) March 1976, p. 63-67.; Tebbitt, Begonias 5:155. (key) 2005;
- Photo References
- JBS, Begonias :8. 1980; Murotani, Begonia in Colour :15. 1983; Tebbitt, Begonias pl.122. 2005; The Begonian, Mar 1976;
Plant
- Description
- BEGONIA ALICE-CLARKAE ZIESENH. By Rudolf Ziesenhenne On June 18, 1971, I received a shipment of begonia plants from Mr. Thomas MacDougall sent from Laredo, Texas. One of the plants, labeled 'C317' had thin, woody stems and was noted to be a "cane." The amazing things which set it apart from other Begonia were the deeply-rounded leaves. of spinach-green and a fine-hairy surface which reminded me of Begonia imperialis. Of course, B. imperialis is a rhizomatous plant, a creeper, and here was a similar-leaved plant with upright growth of a woody nature. The hairy surface of the leaves was unusual also because it was made up of little cones each topped with a tiny hair. This same structure occurs with B. imperialis but there are only two to three cones to a square millimeter whereas 'C 317' has eight or nine per square millimeter which makes a much finer texture. During the fall months before Mr. MacDougall's death in January 1973 I sent him a list of his collection numbers to have him complete his habitat notes; I had not received the information about plant 'C 317' at the time of his death. I learned from Mrs. E. W. Stix of St. Louis, Missouri, that Mr. MacDougall's personal notes and all my letters to him had been given to the American Museum of Natural History, New York. I wrote to the director and he kindly sent me the requested information which lists 'C317' as a cane begonia collected at Las Pitas, Ocozocoautla, Chiapas, Mexico, May 11, 1971. Due to lack of time to work on my taxonomic interests, I have just now finished the botanical study of this plant. It is my intention to name new Begonia in honor of serious begonia lovers when the plants are in cultivation since the hobbyists who grow them can retain the names better than Latin adjectives. I am naming this plant (MacDougall C317) for Mrs. Alice M. Clark of San Diego, a valued friend who is an untiring worker and enthusiastic supporter of begonia-growing, an inspiring leader of various garden clubs, and a distinguished begonia artist working with water colors. Mrs. Clark has made many paintings of Begonia plants which were published in the Begonian from 1943 to 1949 and may be reproduced in color in a volume to be published soon. Mrs. Clark is a long-time member of the American Begonia Society, editor emeritus of the California Garden magazine, and in 1958 was recipient of the ABS highest award for service, the Eva Kenworthy Gray Award. Begonia alice-clarkae is an unusual plant which I am sure will prove useful to hybridizers. I have made only one cross, B. 'AI Clark', which I have named for a young begonia enthusiast, not related to Alice Clark. B. 'AI Clark' is the result of crossing B. imperialis brunis onto B. alice-clarkae in 1973, and is an uptight, thin-stemmed grower with leaves spinach-green with silver areas at the junctions of the main nerves; the underside of the leaves is pale green and not rhodonite-red as with B. alice-clarkae. Seedlings of B. 'AI Clark' selfed are showing some interesting color variations now. B. 'AI Clark' was awarded the first William M. Bower Memorial Trophy for the best Begonia introduction by a commercial Nurseryman at the American Begonia Society Annual Show, September 6, 1974, at Goleta, California. It bears the ABS registration number 441, published in the Begonian May 1975, p. 116. Begonia alice-clarkae poses a problem because it does not fit nicely in the present Sections of Begonia. The two-celled seed pod would place the plant near Section Weilbachia Kl., the plants of which have two styles, a two-divided placenta, a necked seed-pod, but consists of plants which are stemless or creeping-rhizomatous. B. alice-clarkae on the other hand has three styles, a two-celled seed-pod, two placentas, each set apart from the other, a seed pod which is not necked; the plant has thin, woody, upright stems and is a dwarf shrub. Because of these differences I feel a new sub-genera or section should be established. It must be remembered that sections are tools of taxonomists to aid in identifying plants; the whole system of sections will no doubt be reviewed at some later date when all wild Begonia have been described. At this time, Begonia anatomy, even of many named species, is very poorly understood. There are over one hundred Begonia which have been so poorly described as to flower parts that one cannot determine in which section they should be placed. I have made drawings of a number of other unidentified Mexican Begonia which have three stigmas and two-celled seed pods with two separate placentas so I am sure this peculiarity in B. alice-clarkae is not just a freak condition.
Lineage
1 descendants
Parents
No parentage recorded.
Descendants
1 recorded children
As female parent
1
As male parent
0
No children recorded with this plant as the male parent.
Culture
No populated fields in this section.