Star begonia, Starleaf begonia
Begonia heracleifolia
Family: Begoniaceae
What it is like
A herb. It grows 75 cm tall. It has rhizomes. The stems are creeping and branched. They are very hairy. The leaves are almost round and 26 cm across. They have lobes with pointy tips and arranged in a star shape or like fingers on a hand. There are 5-9 lobes. The base is deeply heart shaped. There are double teeth along the edge. They are dark green above and dark red underneath. The leaf stalk is 45 cm long. The flowers are in dense groups and are pink. They are in the axils of leaves. The fruit is oval and green and with 3 sections.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows between 800-1,300 m altitude in Mexico.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Central America, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Indonesia, Mexico (country/location of origin), North America, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, West Indies
How it is used for food
The leaf stalks are sold in markets.
Edible parts
Leaf stalk
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from offsets. It can also be grown from seeds or stem cuttings.
Its other names
Local names
Begonia daun bintang, Pesoxocoyolli, Spililixcutnie, Thuhaiduong la-thau-dau, Xkutn, Xocoyolli