Begonia Radiiumbellata “Mermaid’s Mane”

This is a fantasy plant, and is represented solely as an artistic, fantasy specimen. This is a hobby for me, and I enjoy making plants that don’t actually exist, but could. 

Begonia Radiiumbellata “Mermaid’s Mane”

A woody-stemmed, perennial plant belonging to the Genus “Begonia”.

This particular species is believed to stem from its closest common ancestor, Begonia Luxurians, with very prominent similarities. The coloration of this single-leaf producing begonia is believed to result from a natural mutation allowing it to survive using several wavelengths of light for photosynthesis. The plant, during intense periods of stress will drop its foliage and go dormant, resurrecting its foliage when conditions are prime. The woody stem of this plant allows it to reduce fluid loss during dormancy for an estimated up to 2-3 years. It is possible that this species may have been encountered previously but not observed while in dormancy it appears as just a small coral-like protrusion from the rocky substrate that it grows in. 

This species was first encountered in Pico do Jaraguá, São Paulo, Brazil in 2020 in what’s believed to be a previously unexplored cave where a chasm allows bright water-refracted light to enter. This may explain the need for the plant’s striking colors to absorb the refracted wavelengths of sunlight. The first and only recorded elevation was marked at 1,000 meters, a medium-elevation specimen. A single specimen of the observed 9 plants was taken to the Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center in Kaua’i, HI. for genetic research and continues to happily grow under variable-spectrum grow lights that change spectrum throughout the day to retain the plant’s colors. 

Now a protected species, conservation efforts should continue to protect the delicate ecosystems that foster previously undiscovered species such as B. Radiiumbellata. Protecting our rainforests and caves is as important as ever to make sure plants like this make it into the future. Using AI, we can now interpret plants that may have existed but are now extinct, or could still be out there at risk or becoming one of the nearly 137 species that are driven to extinction every day.