brazil | In Search

Begonia subacida

December 23, 2019 by ofsmallthings

This species was described in 1959 by Edgar Irmischer. It is a rhizomatous species native to Brazil. It is said to be syn. with U304. The leaf undersides are a beautiful rosy pink, as are the stems. Foliage is greenish-purple, with cream or pale green leaf venation. The leaves grow very closely together, forming a compact mound. The leaves are tilted upwards in my experience. There are hundreds of hairs on each leaf, which are pink, giving the leaves a […]

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: begonia, brazil, large, medium, South America, subacida

Peperomia angulata

December 10, 2019 by ofsmallthings

This easy to grow species occurs throughout South and Central America. The leaves reach about 1.5 inches long (and not so wide). It is a wonderful species to use if you’d like a cascade of green over a branch, as it has a tendency to grow pendently when planted up high. Stems are ruby red most of the time but fade to pink in the shade. It is a vigorous species that can be grown as a houseplant so long […]

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: angulata, brazil, cascade, colombia, Costa Rica, creeping, Ecuador, guatemala, Peperomia, red, small, South America, vine

Begonia bullatifolia

August 20, 2019 by ofsmallthings

Begonia bullatifolia was discovered in 2009 in Brazil. It has some of the most dramatically corrugated leaves of any Begonia species and seems all the more dramatic for its diminutive size. Leaves stay around an inch in diameter, and the entire plant stays under 6″. When viewed from the underside, the leaves have a distinctive red venation that is hardly visible when viewing the plant from above. For this reason, I enjoy growing it in a high window, as it […]

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: begonia, brazil, bullate, bullatifolia, small, South America

Gomesa radicans [Ornithophora]

June 10, 2019 by ofsmallthings

This grasslike orchid hails from Brazil, where it lives at elevations around 400m. The pseudobulbs are narrow and like to grow in open air. It much prefers to be loosely mounted, and without moss, ideally hanging off a branch or treefern pole in high humidity. It is not particularly tolerant of drying out, so should likely be for terrarium culture only.

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: brazil, orchid, ornithophora, radicans

Begonia sole-mutata

February 7, 2019 by ofsmallthings

This Brazilian hybrid has dramatic leaf green leaf venation, cast against a darker green (or red if new growth) foliage. It is easy to keep and is a rhizomatous species. The name ‘sole-mutata’ means sun changing, as it’s leaves will vary their color depending on how much light it is receiving. It does well as a house plant as well as a terrarium plant, and depending on conditions reaches about 12-18″ in diameter, and half as tall.

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: begonia, brazil, mutata, rhizomatous, sole, sole-mutata, sun

Alsobia dianthiflora

February 7, 2019 by ofsmallthings

This trailing Gesneriad makes an excellent house plant as well as vivarium plant, and blooms often. The flowers and white with tattered edges. It is a very easy species that can grow as a foreground plant or in a hanging basket, where it will grow long pendant vines. It is found in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Peru.

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: african violet, alsobia, brazil, Costa Rica, dianthiflora, flower, gesneriad, mexico, Peru

Begonia hoehneana

January 15, 2019 by ofsmallthings

This Begonia forms dense clumps, usually 3-4″ in diameter. It’s leaves only reach about 1″, and the whole of the plant is covered in small hairs. The color is a darker green but can express more red in bright light. Stems and undersides of leaves are pink. It is an excellent choice for smaller terraria given its diminutive size. It’s a rhizomatous species native to Brazil.

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: begonia, brazil, hoehneana, rhizomatous

Philodendron ‘Burle Marx Fantasy’

November 23, 2017 by ofsmallthings

This unidentified Philodendron is from the garden of Burle Marx in Brazil. It is an exceptionally patterned Philodendron with blue-emerald venation. In a terrarium the leaves grow to 1-4″, but it can get larger grown outside a terrarium. The leaves on my plants have only ever reached about 2″. It is very slow-growing, and tends to find a dark corner where it can ramble. It likes to grow up a piece of wood or background. It does not seem to […]

Categories: Blog, Plant Photo Library • Tags: brazil, burle marx, fantasy, philodendron

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