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<big>''[[Begonia macrocarpa]]'' Warb.</big>
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Begonia macrocarpa'' (PROTA)}}
:Protologue: Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 22(1): 43 (1895).
== Synonyms ==
*''Begonia auriculata'' auct. non Hook.f.
== Vernacular names ==
*Oseille de la brousse, oseille de gorille, oseille de chimpanzé (Fr).
== Origin and geographic distribution ==
== Description ==
*Erect perennial herb up to 110 cm tall; stem succulent, swollen at the nodes, slightly hairy to glabrous. *Leaves alternate, simple; stipules ovate, 2–8(–10) mm long, toothed, caducous; petiole (0.5–)1–4(–5.5) cm long; blade narrowly ovate, slightly asymmetrical, (2–)4–15(–19) cm × (1–)2.5–6(–7) cm, cordate at base, acuminate at apex, margin entire, slightly succulent, glabrous. *Inflorescence an axillary scorpioid cyme with up to 17 male flowers and 1 female flower; peduncle 1–1.5(–2.5) cm long. *Flowers unisexual, with 2 tepals, white, often reddish at base; male flowers with broadly ovate to circular tepals 0.5–1 cm long and up to 17(–23) stamens fused at base, all anthers facing into one direction; female flowers with ovate or obovate tepals 1–1.5 cm long, ovary inferior, 3-celled and 3-winged, styles 3, up to 6.5 mm long, fused at base. *Fruit a 3-winged capsule 1.5–3 cm × 1.5–3 cm, many-seeded.
''Begonia'' comprises about 1400 species, with about 160 in tropical Africa. ''Begonia macrocarpa'' belongs to section ''Filicibegonia'' and is closely related to ''Begonia auriculata'' Hook.f., which usually has larger leaves and stipules and a longer peduncle, and is endemic to Gabon.
In Central Africa several other ''Begonia'' species are eaten as a vegetable in a similar way to ''Begonia macrocarpa'', e.g. ''Begonia elatostemmoides'' Hook.f., ''Begonia eminii'' Warb., ''Begonia fusialata'' Warb., ''Begonia hirsutula'' Hook.f., ''Begonia komoensis'' Irmsch., ''Begonia sciaphila'' Gilg ex Engl., ''Begonia scutifolia'' Hook.f. and ''Begonia sessilifolia'' Hook.f.
''Begonia macrocarpa'' occurs in primary and secondary forest, especially along roads and rivers, up to 1000 m altitude.
== Author(s) ==
* R.H.M.J. Lemmens , PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
== Correct citation of this article ==
Lemmens, R.H.M.J., 2004. '''Begonia macrocarpa''' Warb. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>.
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[[Category:PROTA]]
[[Category:Vegetables (PROTA)]]