Language: English
The family Begoniaceae consists of the very large genus Begonia, with more than one thousand species, and two smaller genera, Hillebrandia, a monotypic genus in Hawaii, and Symbegonia with 11 species in New Guinea. The family is widespread in the tropical regions except for Polynesia and Australia, and is best developed in northern South America. Many species of Begonia are cultivated as glasshouse ornamentals and houseplants. Approximately one half of the cultivated species are “cultivars”, plants that are derived from hybridization, mutation or selection. In the Ecuadorian Begonia species, the sections follow the treatment of Irmscher's Die Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien (2nd edition, 1925).