シキザキベゴニアは雌雄異花です。雄花は先に咲いて花被片が４枚、雌花は後に咲いて５枚。花着きがよく、周年で開花し、丈夫に育ちます。
Begonia Semperflorens is a dioecious flower. The male flower blooms first and has 4 tepals, and the female flower blooms later and has 5 tepals. They flower well, bloom all year round, and grow strong.
【仮名】シキザキベゴニア, ベゴニア・センパフローレンス
【和名】四季咲きベゴニア
【英名】Begonia Semperflorens
【学名】Begonia cucullata
【誕生】05/ 15, 06/ 14, 10/ 06
【開花】04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11月
【花色】White, Pink, Red
シキザキベゴニア
シキザキベゴニアの来歴
シキザキベゴニアはシュウカイドウ科の多年草です。原産地は南米のブラジル。原種ククラータの変種フーケリに近縁種グラシリスなどを交配し、園芸種センパフローレンスが作出されました。丈夫に育ち、花着きがよく、周年開花。こぼれ種でも殖えるため、世界中に広がりました。
シキザキベゴニアの名前
シキザキベゴニアの「ベゴニア」はラテン語の属名に由来。ベゴニアは17世紀、フランス領アンティル諸島の総督で、植物に精通していたミシェル・ベゴン氏への献名です。英名センパフローレンスは昔の種名で、「四季咲きの」という意味。つまり、今の和名は昔の学名の直訳です。
シキザキベゴニアの姿形
シキザキベゴニアは雌雄異花。雄花は先に咲いて大きな萼片が２枚、小さな花弁が２枚、雄しべが多数です。雌花は後に咲き、やや大きな萼片が３枚、やや小さな花弁が２枚、花柱が３本で２裂。花後は蒴果を結び、熟すと弾けて微細な種子を散らします。葉と茎は光沢のある多汁質。
シキザキベゴニアの種類
シキザキベゴニアの「ダブレット」シリーズは葉が銅色、花が小輪の八重咲きです。「ルルカ」は葉が緑色で斑入り。いずれも草丈が小さく鉢植えも可能です。「ココナッツ・アイス」は花が覆輪の八重咲き、「ドラゴン・ウィング」は大輪。これらは大きくなるので庭植え向きです。
シキザキベゴニアの利用
シキザキベゴニアの花はエディブルフラワー。サラダに添えればシャキシャキとした食感と爽やかな酸味が楽しめます。一方、食べられそうで食べられないのが葉。葉は観賞用のほかに何もありませんが、丸く可愛いハート形なのに左右非対称だから花言葉が「片思い」になりました。
Begonia Semperflorens
History of Begonia Semperflorens
Begonia Semperflorens is a perennial herb of the Begoniaceae family. Their origin is Brazil in South America. The cultivar Semperflorens was created by crossbreeding Hookeri, a variety of the progenitor Cucullata, with Gracilis and other related species. They grow strong, flower well, and bloom all year round. They spread all over the world because even spilled seeds can be propagated.
Name of Begonia Semperflorens
“Begonia” in Begonia Semperflorens comes from the Latin genus name. Begonia is named after Michel Begon, who was 17th-century viceroy of the French Antilles, and well versed in plants. The English name Semperflorens is an old species name, meaning “four seasons blooming”. In other words, the current Japanese name is a literal translation of the old scientific name.
Appearance of Begonia Semperflorens
Begonia Semperflorens is a dioecious flower. The male flower blooms first and has two large sepals, two small petals, and many stamens. The female flower blooms later, and has 3 rather large sepals, 2 rather small petals, and 3 stilts with 2 lobes. After flowering, they form a capsule, and when it ripens, it bursts and scatters fine seeds. The leaves and stems are glossy and juicy.
Types of Begonia Semperflorens
The “Doublet” series of Begonia Semperflorens has copper colored leaves and double flowers with small flowers. “Luluca” has green leaves and variegated leaves. Both plants are small and can be planted in pots. “Coconut Ice” has double-flowered flowers, and “Dragon Wing” has large flowers. They grow large and are suitable for gardening.
Use of Begonia Semperflorens
Begonia Semperflorens flowers are edible flowers. If you add it to a salad, you can enjoy its crunchy texture and refreshing acidity. The leaves, on the other hand, look edible, but are not. The leaves are of no use other than for ornamental purposes, but the flower language is “unrequited love” because they are round and heart-shaped but asymmetrical.
