My friend ask me to put this up for her. She said it is a begonia but would like to know what kind it is. Thank you in advance.

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It's a beauty whatever it is!

It could be one of the Begonia × ricinifolia hybrids ..

http://www.peacetreefarm.com/i...

http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/a...

It does resemble the pictures. I wonder if this plant can live a very long life? Do you know? The owner said it is about 50 years old. That seems unreal to me but what do I know?

If it's 50 years old then yes it can live a very long life!

It seems unreal to me too, but I don't know either. I guess as it's rhizomatous the chances are it will survive better than tuberous, although it would have to be well looked after.

I found one 38 years old, must be a toughie.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/fo...

It's been around a long time!

http://en.hortipedia.com/wiki/...

You have been a great help. I have printed out all the links you gave me with the exception of the one and that would not print the great photo and the comments were not in English, so I just gave up.
I will give them all to her next week when I see her. I do think by the looks of the pictures her plant must be a Begonia ricinflolia. If not, no one will ever know the difference. They are just not plant people but they love this plant because it takes very little care. <sigh> Thanks again for all your help. I love ATP because of times like this, when you have a question, there is always someone who has an answer.

Glad to have been of help.

I have never actually come across the plant before! I could do with one though.

I can ask her for a cutting but I can not guarantee anything.

Thank you Jacquie, but it wouldn't be fair as it doesn't look to be a huge plant and posting it here might be difficult. I might come across one sometime.

What a coincidence Jacquie! I had been planning for long to post mine here asking for confirmation as I had found its ID on the web.
Begonia ricinifolia was what I came upon.

I got it in a strange way..a bit more than a year ago in the middle of June I visited a second hand shop in town and my eye fell on a Begonia on the window sill, that looked old and neglected, nevertheless it was love on first sight. The gorgeous red scales on its leaf stems, the vibrant green of the leaves and the very pretty gracious pink flowers. I HAD to have the plant!
I kindly asked the unfriendly looking saleswoman if I could buy it, nope she said with a stern face, it is property of the shop. OK I said, but then can I just have one leaf pleaaaase? Another irritated nope! I managed to get out the shop without giving in to my intention to sneakily steal a leaf when she turned her back!

It didn't let me lose though, I had to have that plant! I knew there were several people working in that shop and with some luck it would be some else on another day. And yes, it was some else, a friendly one this time! When I kindly asked again for a leaf she smiled and said of course!

So I quickly rushed home with my precious treasure, I had taken a medium sized leaf with stem, I put it in a small vase with water. It really took a long time, about a month and a half, before it made its first tiny roots. When these were around 2 cm long I potted it up.

After a long time, last winter inside the house, I saw a tiny leaf appearing at the base of the leaf stem..

From then on it grew at a rather fast rate and I now am the proud owner of a beautiful and very healthy plant!

Janet, it made a baby so I potted that up for you if you like..

Oh what a coincidence Myriam! Providence has come into play, oh yes pleeease I would love your baby plant!

It's grown very well in a short space of time too! A lovely story of your perseverance to have this lovely plant.

WONDERFUL!

Thanks Janet and Jacquie!

...and they lived happily ever after.

Mary,, don't you want to join in on this love fest? We are just having a great time over one little begonia.

Seriously, ATP is a wonderful place to find great people and most of the answers to questions and enjoy yourself in the process. We are so fortunate to be here.

That's a lovely story Myriam. They have what may be the same or related plant at the Lyman glass house at Smith College. I was tempted to snip as well.

Begonia 'Immense' is a named variety of Begonia ricinifolia Kent, possibly a good selection. I linked to one above ..

http://www.peacetreefarm.com/i...

There's another called Begonia manicata which is a little different ..

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w...

There's a list of other hybrids crossed with B. x ricinifolia which I just found ..

http://tech.dir.groups.yahoo.c...

The clue to being a 'variety' is probably given in " 'Fred Moore' ('Ricinifolia ' v. 'Immense' x 'Leo Rowan')'

B. x ricinifolia is a cross between B. heracleifolia and B. peponifolia ..

http://bdei2.cs.umb.edu:8080/e...

So, if there is another cross involved and the name is not know then B. x ricinifolia might still cover it.

This list of named Begonias gives their parentage, it might be useful!

http://www.begoniahouston.org/...

No wonder you were tempted too to snip of a leaf Evan!

That is a lot of valuable info Janet! Thanks for your research work!

bonitin said:That is a lot of valuable info Janet! Thanks for your research work!

Apparently the ICRA granted cultivar status to x ricinifolia sometime in the past but I cant find any discussions about that. Is there a common name for the rhizomatous begonias?