全 文 ：中国秋海棠属植物的传统利用?
管开云1 , 山口裕文2 , 李景秀1 , 李宏哲1 , 马 宏1 , 3
(1 中国科学院昆明植物研究所 , 云南 昆明 650204 ; 2 日本大阪府立大学生命环境科学部 , 大阪 ?市 599 - 8531;
3 中国科学院研究生院 , 北京 100039 )
摘要 : 秋海棠属植物除了具有较高的观赏价值外 , 在中国还作为药用、食用、饮料和饲料等被利用。本文
应用民族植物学研究方法 , 通过野外调查、文献和标本收集整理和研究 , 共记载了中国产 26 种秋海棠属
植物被作为药用、食用、饮料和饲料加以利用。在所记载的 26 种国产秋海棠属植物中 , 有 24 种作药用 ,
8 种作食用 (蔬菜 ) 或饮料 , 5 种作饲料。3 种作饮料的种类在其自然分布地被广泛利用。9 种秋海棠作为
多种用途加以利用 , 其中 8 种既被作为药用、食用和饮料 , 也被作为饲料加以利用。本研究还表明 , 国产
秋海棠属植物中 , 有些种类由于过度采集利用或其它因素已变得稀有或濒危。由此提出 , 合理开发利用和
有效保护应成为今后中国秋海棠属植物研究的重要内容。
关键词 : 秋海棠 ; 民族植物学 ; 利用 ; 中国
中图分类号 : Q 948 文献标识码 : A 文章编号 : 0253 - 2700 (2007 ) 01 - 058 - 09
Traditional Uses of Begonias (Begoniaceae) in China*
GUAN Kai-Yun1 , YAMAGUCHI Hirofumi2 , LI Jing-Xiu1 , LI Hong-Zhe1 , MA Hong1 ,3
(1 Kunming Instituteof Botany, ChineseAcademy of Sciences, Kunming 650204 , China; 2 Graduate School of Lifeand
Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 599 - 8531 , Japan; 3 GraduateSchool of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 , China)
Abstract : Twenty-six species in thegenus Begonia were recorded for different purposes asmedicine, food, beverageand
pig feed in China ( ornamental uses excluded) . Among these twenty-six species recorded for different uses, twenty-four
species are used asmedicine, eight species are used as food (vegetable) or beverage, and five species are used as pig
feed . Three species are commonly used for making beverage in the areas of their natural distribution . Nine species have
multiple uses, either for medicine, for food, beverage or pig feed . Our study also indicated that some species are be-
coming rare and endangered owning to over collection and other factors .
Key words: Begonia; Ethnobotany; Usage; China
The genus Begonia L . has approximately 1 400
species and comprises nearly all of the species in the
family Begoniaceae (Smith et al . 1986; Doorenbos et
al . 1998) . For most species, the natural habitat is
typically moist and shady . They are largely found
along streams, in forests, and by roadsides . The ge-
nus iswidely distributed in the tropics andsubtropicsof
the Americas, Asia and Africa . Only a few species
occur naturally in temperate climates ( Thompson and
Thompson, 1981) . China hasoneof the richest natu-
ral distributions of begonias with over 150 species hav-
ing been described (Shui et al . 2002 ) . The Chinese
begonias aremainly distributed in thesouthernprovinc-
es, with the majority of species native to Yunnan and
云 南 植 物 研 究 2007 , 29 (1 ) : 58～66
Acta Botanica Yunnanica

? ?Foundation item: This project was partly supported by Yunnan Natural ScienceFoundation ( 2001C0010Z) and Innovation Project of CAS (KSCX2-
YW-Z-032)
Received date: 2006 - 05 - 23 , Accepted date: 2006 - 08 - 30
作者简介 : 管开云 (1953 - ) 男 , 研究员 , 博士生导师 , 主要从事保护生物学和花卉育种研究。
Guangxi . Over 90% of the Chinese begonia species
are endemic (Ku, 1999) .
Begonias have been used and cultivated in China
since long before the Latin name of the genus was es-
tablished ( Thompson and Thompson, 1981; Chen,
1996) . The earliest record citing the use of begonias
in China was in the book Omissions of Compendiumof
Materia Medica (Zhao, 1765 ) . However, folk usage
of begonias in China predates published records .
As begonias are of much horticultural interest,
they have long been in common use as ornamentals in
China and elsewhere in the world . Interest in Begonia
has led to much botanical and horticultural investiga-
tion, and has resulted in many useful publications .
Additionally, various authors report that in several
countries begonias have been used for medicine and in
some instances as a source of food ( Johannes, 1975;
Laferriere, 1990; Jain and Dam, 1979; Basurto-
Pe?a, 2003) . There is abundant literature describing
medicinal uses in China ( Wu, 1984 , 1990; Chen
and Cheng, 1990 ) . However, there is much less
published evidence of use as a food source .
The distribution patterns of begonias are greatly
influenced by environmental factors and human activi-
ty . Many Chinese begonias require a narrowly defined
ecological environment in order to prosper . ( Wu and
Ku, 1995 , 1997; Shui and Huang, 1999; Guan et
al . 1999) . Owing to the situation of decreasing natu-
ral forests in China, and the influenceof human activ-
ity, the existence of many species is threatened . In
many cases, once commonspecieshavebecomerareor
even extinct . Another factor that has contributed to the
demiseof some species is an indifference to traditional
uses because of modernization . The passing from one
generation to the next of knowledge of traditional uses
of begonias, and many other plants, has become less
prevalent . Thus, appreciation for the plants for uses
other than as ornamentals has eroded and protection of
their forest habitats by local people appears to havede-
clined as a result .
The present study concentrates on traditional uses
of begonias in Chinaother than for ornamental purpos-
es . The objective is to gather, record, and further
information that will lead to a better understanding of
theknowledge of traditional uses of begonias in China
before this knowledge disappears .
Methods
Thefield survey routes and study areas were chosen based
on a studious review of literature and herbarium specimens .
Twelveextensivefield investigationswere carriedout beginning in
1996 . The field survey areas were in the provinces or region of
Yunnan, Guangxi, Shichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Guangdong
and Hainan, whereover 95% of theChinese begonia species are
distributed . Information used in this study for the provinces in
which field investigation was not possible was instead based on
literature or local floras .
During the field investigation, information was obtained by
directly interviewinghousekeepers, medicinal herb storeowners,
herbdoctors and local people at markets . The information col-
lected included local names for the plants and themeaningof the
names, collection sites, parts of plant used, preparation meth-
ods, and thepurposeforwhich theplantwas used . Inmost cas-
es, we would visit the local habitats of the plants, which we
found in amarket or herb store in order to collect more informa-
tion and vouchers for identification . In some instances, vouch-
erswere bought from the local markets or provided by the local
people . As determinations are sometimes difficult or impossible
using only vegetative parts, some plants were introduced into
cultivation for subsequent identification and conservation of the
materials . All of the introduced plants are in the permanent col-
lections of the Kunming Botanical Garden .
During the field investigations we found that some useful
species cited in the literatureor by folk sayingcould not befound
in markets or herb stores . In such cases, we collected and pre-
sented examples of the plant to the local people and asked if they
knew of any uses . In order to make surethat the plant was actu-
ally used by the local people, several opinionswere solicited . In
those instances when different answers were given, the majority
answer was used in the paper .
Sometimeswefound that in a single locality multiple names
would be given for the same plant . Likewise, there were in-
stanceswhen different species were known locally by the same
name . In such cases, weinterviewed as many people as possi-
ble to ensure that we had complete information for our study .
The local people we interviewed and the ancient Chinese
textswe reviewed used only local and common Chinese names .
951 期 GUAN Kai-Yun et al .: Traditional Uses of Begonias (Begoniaceae) in China
Hence, much study was necessary to determine the correct bo-
tanical names for these species . The common Chinese names
used in this paper mainly follow Flora of China (Ku, 1999 ) .
Many species often have several names by whichthe local people
refer to them . In such cases, we chose the two most commonly
used local names for use in the article .
Results and Discussion
Twenty-six Chinese species in the genus Begonia
were recorded in this study . The four main uses for be-
gonia are as medicine, food, beverage, and pig feed .
The species and their uses are summarized in Table 1 .
Twenty-four of the twenty-six species recorded are
used for medicine . Only B. edulis Lévl . and B. ver-
sicolor Irmsch . were not mentioned for medicinal pur-
pose in the historical literature or during our field in-
vestigation . Eight species areused as food ( vegetable)
and five species are used as pig feed . Three species
are commonly used to make a beverageby local people
living in the area of the plant′s natural range . Nine
species were found to have multiple uses as medicine,
food, beverage and pig feed . Three species mentioned
as useful for vegetablewerenotmentioned for pig feed .
The main reason for that might be that thosespecies do
not produce enough yields for collecting for pig feed .
However, B. grandis Dry . is common in southern
China and in some areas yields an amount adequate for
pig consumption, yet, the species is not used for pig
feed by the local people .
The common Chinese name of B. acetosella Crab
is Wuchi Qiuhaitang ( 无翅秋海棠 ) . Wuchi means
wingless, and Qiuhaitang means begonia . Its local
name in Yunnan is called Huangdan Cao (黄疸草 ) .
Table 1 Begonias used for different purposes in China
Species Purposes Parts of plant used Medical efficacy or usage Distribution (province) *
Begonia medicine food whole plant; shoot dysmenorrheal ; vegetable YN , XZ
acetosella
B ?. algaia medicine rhizome injuries, snake bite, edema JX , HN
B ?. asperifolia medicine rhizome hemostasia, acesodyne GZ, YN , XZ
B ?. augustinei medicine whole plant snake bite YN , GZ, GX , HN
B ?. cathayana medicine whole plant cough, bronchitis, scald FJ , GX , YN
B ?. cavalerei medicine whole plant injuries, edema GD, GX , GZ , YN; HIN
B ?. circumlobata medicine food whole plant; shoot; stem injuries, scald, snake bite; salad or soup HB, HN, GZ, GX, GD, FJ
B ?. crassirostris medicine food beverage whole plant; shoot faucitis, edema, toothache; vegetable; FJ , HN , GD, GX , YN ,
beverage GZ, HN, JX
B ?. dryadis medicine whole plant scabies, snake bite, acesodyne YN
B ?. edulis food beverage pig feed stem, petiole shoot vegetable; beverage YN , GZ, GX , GD
B ?. fimbristipula medicine food beverage whole plant or young leaf rheumatism, calenture fever, cough; YN , GZ, GX , GD, JX ,
vegetable, beverage FJ , HN , SC
B ?. grandis medicine food whole plant; shoot gemostasia, detoxification, diarrhea; South China & HB , BJ ,
vegetable SD
B ?. handelii medicine whole plant itch, scabies GD, GX , YN
B ?. hemsleyana medicine food pig feed whole plant; shoot cold, pneumonia, cough; vegetable YN , GX , SC,
B ?. henryi medicine whole plant stanch, diarrhea, gastralgia YN , GX , GZ , SC
B ?. howii medicine whole plant bronchitis, scabies, swell HN , GX
B ?. labordei medicine tuber bronchitis, asthma YN , SC , GZ
B ?. leprosa medicine whole plant scabies, snake bite GX , GD, YN
B ?. limprichtii medicine whole plant injuries; rheumatism SC, GZ
B ?. palmata medicinepig feed food whole plant; shoot cold or flu, rheumatism, bronchitis; YN , GZ, SC, GX , GD,
vegetable HN , TW, JX , ZJ
B ?. pedatifida medicine rhizome Hemostasia, acesodyne, rheumatism YN , SC , GZ, HN , HB ,
JX , GD
B ?. taiwaniana medicine rhizome hemostasia; detumescence acesodyne TW, HN , GZ
B ?. tetragona medicine pig feed upper part swell , scabies YN
B ?. versicolor pig feed leaf mixed with other feed YN
B ?. wilsonii medicine rhizome hemostasia, cough, leucorrhea SC
B ?. yunnanensis medicine whole plant stomachache; colicfracture YN , HN , SC , GZ
* Note: Abbreviation of provinces or regions of China: BJ = Beijing; FJ = Fujian; GD = Guangdong; GX = Guangxi ; GZ = Guizhou; HB = Hubei ;
HN = Hunan; HIN = Hainan; JX = Jiangxi ; SC = Sichuan; SD: Shandong; TW = Taiwan; XZ= Tibet; YN= Yunnan; ZJ = Zhejiang
06 云 南 植 物 研 究 29 卷
Huangdan meaning icterus or jaundice, and Cao
meaning herb . The name suggests its medical poten-
tial . However, neither the local people interviewed
nor any of the ancient references cited useof the plant
for treating icterus . The common use is for the treat-
ment of cramps or dysmenorrhea . As a food source,
theyoungshoots are used asvegetable either cooked for
soup or fried with meat or other vegetables .
Begonia algaia L . B . Sm . et Wassh . is called
Meili Qiuhaitang ( 美丽秋海棠 ) in Chinese . Meili
means beautiful . Its local name in Jiangxi is Huzhao
Long (虎爪龙 ) . Huzhao means tiger’s claw, and the
plant is so named because of its lobed leaves . Long
means dragon, probably owning to its brownish rhi-
zome . The species is used as medicine both in J iangxi
and Hunan . Only the rhizome is used for treatment of
injuries or swelling from falls and snake bite .
Begonia asperifolia Irmsch . is called ZaoyeQiuhai-
tang (糙叶秋海棠 ) or Cuyue Qiuhaitang (粗叶秋海
棠 ) , both Chinese terms referring to the hairy and
rough leaves . The species is widely distributed in NW
Yunnan and Xizang, and also can be found in
Guizhou . Oddly, in Yunnan, where the species is
common, it is not used as medicine or food . In
Guizhou, however, where it grows infrequently, it is
commonly used as medicine for the treatment of hemo-
stasia and acesodyne . We don’t know yet if the plant
is used for any purpose in Xizang .
Begonia augustinei Hemsl . ( 歪 叶秋 海棠 ) is
mainly distributed in Yunnan . It was also mentioned in
some literatureor local floras that the species is distrib-
uted in Guangxi , Hainan and Guizhou provinces ( Insti-
tuteof Botany, 1988 ) . Our field investigations found
populations in Yunnan and Guangxi but not in Guizhou
and Hainan . The species is common in southwestern
Yunnan . It is used for curing snake bite . The whole
plant is collected and kneaded intofinepieces and then
puton the wound . We don′t know if it really works
but snake bites are a serious problemin this area .
Begonia cathayana Hemsl . is known as Zhong-
hua Qiuhaitang ( 中华秋海棠 ) and Hua Qiuhaitang
(华秋海棠 ) , both meaning Chinese begonia . It has
several local names . Some local names are related to
its medicinal usage, such as Huaye Yikouxue ( 花叶
一口血 ) ( Guangxi ) . Huaye means variegated leaf
and Yikouxue is a common name for several medicinal
plants . Shanhaitang (山海棠 ) means mountain bego-
nia . Ku Suantai (苦酸苔 ) and Gongji Suantai ( 公鸡
酸苔 ) are two local names commonly used in Simao in
SW Yunnan ( Wu, 1984; Ku, 1999 ) . Ku means
bitter and Gongji means rooster . Suantai is a local
name for another edible plant belonging to the genus
PolygonumL . in the Polygonaceae . The plant is po-
pularly used as medicine in Yunnan and Guangxi for
treatment of various conditions, but the most common
use is for diminishing inflammation .
Eight different names were recorded for B. cavalerei
Lévl . The two most commonly used names are Dunye
Qiuhaitang (盾叶秋海棠 ) and Chang-gan Qiuhaitang
(昌感秋海棠 ) . Chang-gan is a county in Hainan
province and Dunye means blunt leaf . Some local
names refer to the natural habitat in which it grows or
to its medicinal purpose . The names used in Guang-
dong and Guizhou are Pashanhou ( 爬山猴 ) meaning
“mountain climbing monkey”, and Pashanlong ( 爬山
龙) meaning“ cliff climbing dragon”. The name of
Yan Wugong ( 岩蜈蚣 ) is used in Yunnan and Guan-
gxi , meaning rocky centipede . Centipede is commonly
used for treating rheumatism in traditional Chinese
medicine . PaDilong (爬地龙 ) and Pa Yan Long ( 爬
岩龙 ) are both used in some places in Guizhou . Pa
means climbing, Dilong means earthworm, and Long
means dragon ( Instituteof Botany 1988) . Earthworms
areused as medicine insomeplaces in China . Various
medicinal efficacy was mentioned by local people but
themost popularly mentioned purpose is for the treat-
ment of injury and swelling fromfalls . Theplant is al-
so mentioned as an aid in the curing of tuberculosis .
Several local names in Yunnan, Guangxi and
Guizhou for B. circumlobata Hance used the word Su-
an, whichmeans sour . Such local names are Shi Suan
Tai ( 石酸苔 ) , Suan Tang Gan ( 酸汤杆 ) , Dama
Suan Tang Gan (大麻酸汤杆 ) , and Houzi Suan ( 猴
子 酸 ) ( Wu, 1984; Ku, 1999 ) . These names
161 期 GUAN Kai-Yun et al .: Traditional Uses of Begonias (Begoniaceae) in China
clearly indicate its usage for food purposes, either for
making soupor salad . Thenameof Houzi Suan is very
interesting . Houzi means monkey . The name means
that monkeys feel sour too . In another name, Tang
means soup and Gan means stem . So, from the name
Suan Tan Gan we can see that stemof theplant is used
for making a sour soup . Apart fromits medicinal usag-
es listed in the table, it is also used totreat dysmenor-
rhea and carbuncle .
Begonia crassirostris Irmsch . has eight different
local names . The names of Hong ( red) Yezi ( leaf)
(红叶子 ) and Ye Haitang ( 野海棠 , wild begonia)
areusedboth inYunnan andGuizhou . ThenameSuan
J iaogan (酸脚杆 ) is only used in Pingbian county of
Yunnan ( Wu, 1990; Institute of Botany 1988 ) .
J iaogan normally means leg but here actually meaning
stem . Fromthe name, we can infer that the stems are
used for making soup . Hong Lian (红莲 ) is a common
name used in Guangxi , meaning red lotus . Da Banbi-
anlian ( 大半边莲 ) , Rou Banbianlian ( 肉半边莲 )
and Da Haitang (大海棠 ) are names used in Guang-
dong, Guizhou and Hunan . Dameans big, Roumeans
fleshy and Banbianlian means Lobelia . Lobelia is a
commonly used medicine in China . Begonia crassiros-
tris is popularly used as medicine, food and beverage
in most places within itsdistribution range . Medicinal-
ly, it is used to treat various conditions such as in-
flammation, faucitis, toothache, scrofula, burn and
scald . It is interesting to note that the species is used
for treating esophageal cancer . As a food, the young
leaves are picked for making soup or fried as vegeta-
ble . Also, the sour tasting juice of young stems and
petioles is used for making a beverage .
Begonia dryadis Irmsch . is only distributed in
thesoutheastern part of Yunnan, and its local name is
Hong Bajiaolian (红八角莲 ) (Wu, 1984) . Bajiaolian
( Dysosma ) is the common name of another plant,
which is frequently used as medicine in China . The
local Hani peoplecollect thewhole B. dryadisplant for
use in the treatment of scabies, snake bite and aceso-
dyne . This study is the first published record of the
plant’suse as medicine .
Fromthenameof B. edulisweknow that theplant
is edible . This specieshas not beenmentioned either in
literatureor by local people as having medicinal uses .
It was found that the young leaves, stems and petioles
are occasionally used for food in some places .
Begonia fimbristipula Hance is a very famous
plant in China because of its medical function . Its
Chinese name is called Zibei Tiankui ( 紫背天葵 ) .
The species is widely distributed in southern China,
especially in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces, ac-
cording to herbarium specimens, literature, and the
local people . There are several local names such Long
Hu Cao (龙虎草 ) , and Yi Ye Hong (一叶红 ) and
Xiao Lingyang ( 小羚羊 ) . Long ( dragon) , Hu ( ti-
ger) , and Cao ( herb) probably means the plant is a
very precious but rare medicinal plant . Yi Ye Hong,
(meaning one red leaf) and Xiao Lingyang ( meaning
small antelope) describe its morphology and growing
habit in the wild . The leaves have long been used for
making a beverage, one which is a famous drink in
Guangdong in summer ( Wu, 1990; Institute of Bota-
ny 1988 ) . But, the plant is getting rare because of
over collecting . During our investigation in Dinghush-
an of Guangdong, the center of wild distribution for
this species, we noticed that a lot of plant products are
sold under the common Chinese name for this species-
Zibeitiankui , but nearly all the products were actually
either B. cathayana, B. grandis or B. palmata D .
Don . The whole plant including the tuber is used as
medicine for treatment of rheumatism, calenture fever
and cough .
Begonia grandis is widely distributed in China
fromthe south to thenorthof the country . Its distribu-
tion near Beijing is the northernmost for thegenus Be-
gonia worldwide ( Ku, 1999 ) . The plant was first
mentioned as a medicinal in the book Bencao Gangmu
Shiyi (Omissions of Compendium of Materia Medica;
Zhao, 1765) . It is still popularly used inmany places
of China for the treatment of various diseases . Accord-
ing to some locals interviewed during our survey,
B. grandis is also used as food . There are many local
names for the species, such as Bayue Chun ( 八月
26 云 南 植 物 研 究 29 卷
春 ) , meaning spring in August; Yan Wanzi ( 岩丸
子 ) , meaning tuber on cliff; Hong Yan Yu ( 红岩
芋 ) meansred taro on cliff; Shan Haitang ( 山海棠 ) ,
meaning mountain begonia; Luye Hongbei ( 绿叶红
背) means green on upper surface and red on back
surface and Wai Zui Lian ( 歪咀莲 ) , meaning askew
leaf . Most of these local names refer to its growing
habit or morphological characteristics .
Begonia handelii Irmsch . is calledDaxiangQiuhai-
tang (大香秋海棠 ) or Xianghua Qiuhaitang (香花秋
海棠 ) because of its fragrant flowers . Daxiang means
very fragrant and Xianghua means fragrant flowers .
The whole plant is used for medicine in Guangxi and
Guangdong, but only rhizomes are used for medicinal
purpose in Yunnan ( Wu, 1990 ) . The reason might
be that the plant is more commonly seen in Yunnan
than in Guangxi and Guangdong . The use of this spe-
cies formedicinal purposeof treating itch and scabies is
recorded here for the first time .
Begonia hemsleyana Hook . f . is distributed in
Yunnan, Guangxi and Sichuan . The local name in
Yunnan is called Ci Haitang or Yansuangu . Ci means
thorny and Haitang means begonia . Yansuangu proba-
bly refers to another plant (Ku, 1999 ) . The plant is
used for medicine both in Sichuan and Guangxi , but
there is no record of medicinal usage in Yunnan .
However, the plant is used as food and pig feed in
Yunnan . The Hani people in Honghe of Yunnan call
the plant Luxinduo, meaning“sour stem”. This study
is the first published record of this species use for me-
dicinal , food, and pig feed purposes .
The medical efficacy of B. henryi Hemsl . was
written in historical literature and mentioned by local
people (Wu, 1984) . The whole plant can be used as
medicine, but themost frequently used part is the tu-
ber . Tubers can be seen for sale on Mt . Emei in Si-
chuan . The local name of B. henryi in Honghe of
Yunnan is Huoxue ( 活血 ) , which refers to its func-
tion of stimulatingblood circulation .
Begonia howii Merr . et Chun, B. laboredi Lévl ,
B. leprosa Hance and B. limprichtii Irmsch . are all
used as medicine in the localities within their range of
natural distribution . The range of B. howii is limited
to Hainan province according to Flora of China . How-
ever, we discovered the species growing in Guangxi
province during our field investigations . Begonia
labordei is called Hong Pan ( 红盘 ) in Ruili and Da
Yan Suan ( 大盐酸 ) in Baoshan of Yunnan ( Wu,
1984) . Only tubers of this species are used as medi-
cine . Begonia leprosa is distributed in Guangxi ,
Guangdong and Yunnan . In Guangxi , it is called
Laohu Er ( 老虎耳 ) , meaning tiger’s ear, becauseof
its rounded leaves . It is called Shishanglian (石上莲 )
in Guangdong, meaning“lotusgrowingon stone”, al-
so owing to its leaves, which are similar to lotus leav-
es . In Yunnan, it is called Laiye Qiuhaitang ( 赖叶
秋海棠 ) , which suggests a similarity between the ap-
pearance of its leaves and the skin of a wrinkled frog .
Begonia limprichtii is called Qixinghua ( 七星花 ) ,
meaning seven-star flower . Thewhole plant is collect-
ed and soaked in spirits for treating rheumatismand in-
juries fromfalls .
Begonia palmata is subdivided into 5 varieties by
botanists and the species is widely distributed in many
southern provinces ( Ku, 1999) . It is commonly used
as medicine in most places within its distribution range
for treating cold, flu, rheumatismand bronchitis . Al-
so, people from a few places in Yunnan and Guangxi
use the plant for food (vegetable) and pig feed . The
local name of this species in Yunnan is called Yan
Hong ( 岩红 ) . Yan means rock and Hongmeans red .
The name probably arose fromits growing habit-it often
grows on rocks, and its young leaves are red . Only
young shoots are collected for food and pig feed . We
were told that the plant must be boiled and soaked and
then fried when used as a vegetable .
Begonia pedatifida Lévl . is widely distributed in
many provinces of China and commonly used as medi-
cine for the treatment of stomach ache, womb bleed-
ing, rheumatism, arthritis, injuries and swelling from
falls, snake bite, and other disorders . Due to its
wide distribution, the species has many local names .
In Guizhou it is called Hong Bajiaolian (红八角莲 ) ,
Mangouhong (满沟红 ) , Yajiao Lian ( 鸭脚莲 ) , and
361 期 GUAN Kai-Yun et al .: Traditional Uses of Begonias (Begoniaceae) in China
Shui Bajiao (水八角 ) . Hongmeans red and Bajiaolian
is a local name for the plant genus Dysosma Woodson .
( All species in thegenus Dysosma, which isunrelated
to begonia, are used as medicine in China . Also, in
Yunnan, B. dryadis is also given the name Hong Ba-
jiaolian .) Mangouhong means“whole valley is red”,
referring to its habitat and growing status . Yajiao
means duck palmand Lian means lotus . This refers to
the appearance of the leaves like those of duck palm
and lotus . Shui means water, and Bajiao means the
fruit of IlliciumL . The name is given because of its
habitat and leaf characteristics . The local names for
B. pedatifida in Sichuan are HuaJ igong (花鸡公 ) and
Fengxiang Xixin (枫香细辛 ) . Hua means“colorful”
and J igong means“rooster”. Fengxiang means sweet
gum ( Liquidambar L .) and Xixin means AsarumL .
The name camefromits leaf shape and also its medici-
nal function . Many species in the genus Asarum are
popularly used as medicine in China . In Hubei , it is
called Wugong Qi ( 蜈蚣七 ) or Xue Wugong ( 血蜈
蚣 ) . Wugong is the Chinese name for the centipede,
which is also used as amedicine . Manymedicinal pla-
nts are called Qi , such as Sanqi ( Panax pseudo-gin-
seng var. notoginseng Hoo et Tseng) , a famous medi-
cine in China . Xue means blood and may refer to the
flower color or the medicinal function of stimulating
blood circulation . It is called Shui Huanglian ( 水黄
莲 ) or Shui Wugong ( 水 蜈 蚣 ) in Jiangxi . Shui
means water and Huanglian is theChinese namefor the
genus CoptisSalisb ., which is also amedicinal plant .
Begonia taiwaniana Hayata is said in literature to be
used as medicine, but this was not confirmed in inter-
views . It ismentioned that the species is distributed in
Hainan and Guizhou provinces but we didn’t see any
specimens nor living plants from Hainan and Guizhou .
The species is likely only found in Taiwan . According
to literature record ( Wu, 1990 ) , the species is used
for hemostasia; detumescence and acesodyne .
According to Flora of China, B. tetragona Irm-
sch . is limited in its distribution to southern and
southeastern Yunnan . (Tebbitt ( 2003) treats it as a
synonymof B. acetosella Craib .) . Although some lit-
erature refers to this taxon in Guangxi , we found no
wild distribution during our field surveys ( Wu, 1990;
Ku, 1999 ) . According to historical record, it is used
for the treatment of detumescence and hemostasia .
Begonia versicolor is only distributed in a narrow
area of southeastern Yunnan, but is common within
that range . It is a very beautiful species with many
colorful leaf patterns . On Mt . Daweishan in Pingbian
county of Yunnan, plantsof this species are abundant .
Several other species of Begonia are also common on
this mountain . As begonias are everywhere on the
mountain, the mountain is referred to by some as“be-
gonia mountain”. Plants of B. versicolor are routinely
collected by the local people for pig feed .
Begonia wilsonii Gagnep . is only distributed on
Mt . Emei and in Hongxi of Sichuan . The species is
getting rare because of over collecting for medicinal
purposes of treating hemostasia, cough and leu-
corrhea . Several years ago, dry plants in abundance
could beseen for saleon Mt . Emei . Currently, how-
ever, this is no longer the case . The plant is called
Yidianxue ( 一点血 ) or Yidianhong ( 一点红 ) in Si-
chuan . This name is given becauseof its redor purple
spotted leaves .
Begonia yunnanensis Lévl . grows throughout
Yunnan and is known locally by many different names .
It is called Suan Ping-guo (酸苹果 ) byNaxi peoplein
Lijiang . Suan means sour and Ping-guo means apple .
The nameof Hong Hao-er (红耗儿 ) is given in Zhao-
tong . In the local language Hao-er means mouse . In
Simao and Xishuangbanna, it is called Xue Dang-gui
(血当归 ) or Huaxuedan (花血丹 ) . Dang-gui is the
Chinese name for Angelica sinensis ( Oliv .) Diels,
which has long been used as medicine in China ( Wu,
1984 , 1990 ) . The whole plant may be used as medi-
cine . However, for some special treatments, only se-
lected parts of plant are used . For example, tubers
areused for treating menstruation problems, haemato-
ma and bone fracture . Fruits areused for treating chil-
dren with hematuria and colic . Whole plants are used
for stomach ache and injuries fromfalls .
Our survey also revealed that two exotic begonias
46 云 南 植 物 研 究 29 卷
widely cultivated for ornamental purposes in China are
used as medicines . The species are B. maculata Rad-
di . and B. cucullata Willd . The whole plant of
B. maculata is used as medicine for the treatment of
swelling and injuries from falls . Flowers and fresh
leaves of B. cucullata are used as medicine for curing
scabies .
Conclusion
Our study documented that twenty-six Chinese
species of Begonia are used for different purposes .
The predominant usage is for medicine . This study
records for the first time the use of three species,
B. dryadis, B. handelii , and B. hemsleyana, as
being used for medicinal purposes . Among the eight
species cited as being used for food (vegetable) or be-
verage, five are newly recorded in this paper as
beingused inChina, B. acetosella, B. circumlobata,
B. crassirostris, B. palmata and B. hemsleyana .
Though it should be pointed out that similar uses for
B. acetosella and B. crassirostris have previously been
recorded from Vietnam ( Tebbitt, 2003 ) . Begonia
fimbristipula is commonly used for making beverage in
its main distribution areas of Guangdong and Guangxi ,
but there was no previous indication that it was used
otherwise . However, our investigation revealed that its
young leaves are used for vegetable in Yunnan . Last-
ly, theuse for pig feedof fivedifferent species is new
information documented by this study .
During our interviews, when asked about the
sourceof their knowledge concerning theuseof begoni-
as and other native plants, nearly all of the local peo-
ple responded that the information was passed down
from their parents or older generation . No one cited
books or historical literature as a source, although
many plants they commonly use for different purposes
are recorded inbooks and literature, especially medic-
inal plants . This suggests that the knowledge and
ability to prepare and use plants, medicinally and oth-
erwise, can easily be lost if theyounger generation be-
comes disinterested .
Our survey of the literature indicated that nearly
every plant has multiplemedicinal functions . However,
the local peoplewe interviewed routinely mentionedonly
oneor two functions . We also noticed that only a few
species mentioned in books or literature have been sci-
entifically studied . The efficacy of most has never been
studied by modern science . So, it is important to note
that the information both from the literature and local
people should be further studied and recorded .
The wild resources of some species aregettingvery
rarebecauseof over collectingandhabitat loss . For ex-
ample, the once abundant B. fimbristipula can now
scarcely be found in its natural distribution area . An-
other example is B. wilsonii , that is only distributed in
Sichuan and which is gettingvery rare in thewild . An-
other factor leading to the demise of species is environ-
mental changes . The distribution and growth of most
begonias is greatly influenced by environment factors .
China has a long agricultural history . People
have typically sought to introduce and cultivate wild
plants found to be useful . It is reported that some edi-
ble begonias fromthenorthof Pueblo, Mexico are cul-
tivated in homegardens and coffeeplantations (F . Ba-
surto-Pe?a et al . 2003 ) . However, our surveys did
not indicate any currentor past attempt in Chinato cul-
tivatebegonias for medicinal , food and other purposes,
even for the very rare but commonly used species like
B. fimbristipula . When begonias are found in cultiva-
tion, it is typically for ornamental purpose only .
The authors recommend that all of the important
species be placed on a plant protection list before they
become threatened or extinct . For those species which
aremost commonly used by the local people, it is fur-
ther suggested that research on cultivation methods be-
gin at once, including the use of modern technologies
such as tissue culture . Severely endangered species
such as B. fimbristipula and B. wilsonii should be put
in the first class of protection . Conservation manage-
ment and reintroduction measures may be necessary to
reinvigorate the wild populations of these most threat-
ened species .
Acknowledgements: Special thanks are due to those who sup-
561 期 GUAN Kai-Yun et al .: Traditional Uses of Begonias (Begoniaceae) in China
plied their knowledgeand generous collaboration during our field
investigation . Wethank Prof . WU Zheng-yi for his comments to
the study, to Dr . SUN Hang, Mr . HU Yan-qin and Mr .
WANG Zhong-lang for their assistance . The authors are grateful
for detailed reviews of the English manuscript by Mr . Paul
Jones .
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