Hey, I found it!

The label has CONCHIFOLIA misspelled.

Here's a pic:

http://www.bbg.org/mem/signature/h01.html

So -- does anyone have any experience with this plant? Any input would be appreciated!

Amazondoc,

Glad to see you found the spelling. I was given a small start of it last fall and it promptly rotted and died. I was down to one leaf with no stem. I placed that leaf on a semi-dry layer of potting soil in a styrofoam bowl and enclosed the bowl in a baggie. I then placed it under a fluorescent light 24/7. Green algae started growing but the leaf never rotted, just stayed green. Now after nearly 3 months, I noticed very tiny leaves started emerging. I finally took the baggie off and misted it slightly. So my initial reaction would be be to err on the dry side - be very cautious on watering. It appears to be succulent in nature. But then I have a lot of my begonias in almost the same medium as my succulents - I just water the begonias more. I'm sure once I move it outdoors for summer that watering could be more liberal, but I think I will divide it so I can have one indoors for insurance and compare the two through the following months.

There is a good picture of it on this foreign site:

http://www.bronson.ru/fito/room/begonia.htm

Here's another good picture:

http://www.agristarts3.com/bebey.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Astro site

this was one of my first begonias, and is still growing strong for me to this day.

as butch says, it's succulent in nature. i keep mine in a mix a little lighter than some of my other begonias and it has done just fine. it's a real darling. some time ago there was a thread on here where i read that some hybridizer had just put a name on a species. i believe you can also find it under B. conchifolia var. rubrimacula.
best of luck! this is one of my faves.

-ming

Thanks guys!

I also bought B. rajah at the same time as conchifolia. I've already read that rajah needs dry feet and a humid head, so I'll repot both of them in succulent mix and then put a lid on rajah. :-)

yes, rajah should definitely be grown in a terrarium. i believe that particular begonia is extinct in the wild, so you have quite a gem. (and more incentive to propagate!)

-ming

I find B. rajah does very well outside in the summer here--we live in a very large very warm terrarium!--and I'm not sure but what it would do well outside in Tennessee too--for the summer only of course. It attains a size and lushness I haven't succeeded in getting in a terrarium, tho' that was probably a combination of a too-small terrarium and not enough light.

Thanks! It's not quite as humid here as in Louisiana... ;-) ...but I *was* planning to grow it outside. I'm thinking I'll put a cut-off soda bottle over it, though. We Shall See. Thanks for the input!