# Variegated Begonia 'Manaus'



## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

So, in one of my tanks, this Begonia has started trowing this interesting variegated growth. Anybody else?


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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

Mine has done that under high light.


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

I actually got this from you, Mike. 

EDIT: the light really isn't especially bright. Twin 32 watt, 6500k t8's.


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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

How close to the light are they? I only ask because the leaf shape looks like mine when they would get close to the light. Typically it seems to do better for me in a bit lower light, and that is when it will get the larger 3-5" leaves and they will stay the darker green with the red hairs showing nicely. Seemed like when I used HO T5s to try to propagate the leaves stayed a bit smaller, and had that sort of concave shape to them.


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

Those particular leaves are 12-15" from the lights, with a few neo leaves in between.


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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

Hmm... well you keep striking my ideas out. So I am going to go with a weird genetic mutation 

Many plants do naturally have weird things that present themselves from time to time, soemtimes triggered by something, sometimes not. Would be interesting if you could take leaf cuttings and see if the plants you produce from those leaf cuttings also have that trait.


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## MrMycetes (Nov 9, 2014)

Mine is doing the same, I have it under 12 T5's


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

Sometimes variegation can be linked to viruses.


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## Epiphile (Nov 12, 2009)

Could this be a micronutrient deficiency of some kind?


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

I don't have that plan anymore, but here's what happened: it produce 5-6 of these leaves, then went back to normal growth. I rooted one of the "variegated" leaves and it produced mostly normal looking plantlets, but also a couple albinos. As Spaff mentioned, I believe it to be viral, as it didn't occur in vigorous growth.


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

If this is virused, the remaining material should really be destroyed and nearby plants monitored for symptoms. I'm not terribly familiar with individual Begonia viruses, but they're relatively prevalent in orchids and can really do some damage to a collection. 

I wouldn't recommend distributing this clone around.


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