This begonia of section Petermannia was discovered in 1907 by the German botanist Friedrich Richard Rudolf Schlechter. It was described from this specimen, brought back from Papua New Guinea (altitude 200 m). It was later found on the islands of New Britain and Karkar, which belong to the same country.
This cane-like begonia can reach 1 metre in height, or more in its native habitat. Its branched green stems are red at the nodes. Its leaves are acuminate with a cordate base. It is the leaves, glossy and attractively coloured, that give it its charm: bright pink spots stand out against a green or bronze-green blade. In 2005 a subspecies was described, B. brevirimosa subsp. exotica, easily recognised by its bright pink bands between the veins (published by M. Tebbitt). There is also a clone: B. brevirimosa ‘Edinburgh’.
B. brevirimosa should be grown in a terrarium or a heated greenhouse, in a free-draining substrate. It likes temperature variations between 15°C and 30°C and good humidity, but moderate watering.
