Begonia yang dapat ditemukan di Sumatera Barat (photo: naturasumatrana)
Begonia, yang Indah dan Berkhasiat
Nawa Tunggal | Kompas.com, 29 April 2013
Sebanyak 313 jenis begonia koleksi Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bedugul, Bali, kini jadi yang terlengkap di dunia dan mudah dinikmati di sebuah Taman Begonia seluas 700 meter persegi. Begonia satu-satunya tumbuhan dengan daun tak simetris, sekaligus tanaman hias yang belum banyak dilirik. Begonia (Begoniaceae) sebagai tanaman hias memang belum populer di Indonesia. Namun, tanaman ini diminati di beberapa negara sampai-sampai banyak terbentuk asosiasi penggemar begonia,” kata Hartutiningsih, peneliti begonia pada Pusat Konservasi Tumbuhan Kebun Raya Bogor Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI), awal April 2013, di Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bedugul, Bali.
Ciri-ciri spesifik helai daun yang tak simetris (begoniifolia) menjadi salah satu eksotisme begonia, selain corak dan warna-warninya. Begonia alam tumbuh liar di habitat berair seperti sekitar sungai. Beraneka jenis begonia juga mudah dijumpai di sekitar air terjun. Keragaman begonia di dunia diperkirakan ada 1.600 jenis, tersebar di kawasan tropis dan subtropis. Menurut Hartutiningsih, di Indonesia terdapat lebih dari 200 jenis begonia. Begonia alam diketahui di Pulau Jawa ada 15 jenis, Sumatera (35), Kalimantan (40, Sulawesi (20), dan Papua (70). Begonia alam tumbuh di hutan tropis basah pada dataran rendah hingga pegunungan 2.400 meter di atas permukaan laut.
Pengoleksian
Pengoleksian begonia di Eka Karya diawali tahun 2001. Usaha 8 tahun itu menjadikan koleksi Kebun Raya berketinggian 1.250 mdpl itu terlengkap di dunia. ”Bukan kami yang menyatakan koleksi begonia ini terlengkap di dunia,” kata Hartutiningsih. Berdasar tulisan Hoover (2008) pada World Center of Begonia, Kebun Raya Bali memiliki koleksi begonia terlengkap di dunia. Di Eka Karya, pengoleksian begonia diawali dari lima jenis saja. Demi meningkatkan jumlah koleksi, antara lain dilakukan eksplorasi flora ke sejumlah pulau dan pertukaran biji dengan kebun raya lain. Kebun raya itu di antaranya Jardin Botanic Garden (BG), Perancis; Glassgow BG, Skotlandia; Queen Sirikit BG, Thailand; Tubingen BG, Jerman; American Begonia Society Tonkawa, Amerika Serikat; dan New England Tropical Conservatory, Inggris.
Dari 313 koleksi begonia, terbagi 100 jenis begonia alam dan 213 jenis begonia eksotik sebagai hasil persilangan. Penambahan koleksi terbanyak terjadi pada periode 2006-2009 dari eksplorasi di Pulau Sulawesi dan Papua. Di Papua, eksplorasi dilakukan di Cagar Alam Pulau Batanta Barat, Kabupaten Raja Ampat, Papua Barat. Hasil deskripsi ilmiah, hingga kini diketahui 20 jenis baru yang dipublikasikan pada jurnal-jurnal internasional. Jenis lain masih banyak yang belum dideskripsikan ilmiah. Penelitian kawin silang juga dilakukan untuk menghasilkan jenis begonia baru dengan penampilan fisik menarik dan lebih baik dari induknya, unik, serta mempunyai daya tahan lebih kuat. Perkawinan silang dilakukan dengan penyerbukan silang. Begonia umumnya menyerbuk sendiri.
Tahun 2005, Hartutiningsih menyilangkan Begonia acetosa dan Begonia listada. Kultivar baru diberi nama Begonia Tuti-Siregar. ”Tuti” panggilan Hartutiningsih, sedangkan ”Siregar” nama suaminya, Mustaid Siregar, Kepala Kebun Raya Bogor. Kultivar baru ini sudah terdaftar di American Begonia Society. Persilangan buatan dilanjutkan tahun 2007, antara bunga betina Begonia puspitae dan bunga jantan Begonia pasamanensis yang menghasilkan Begonia Lovely-Jo. Daunnya unik berbentuk bulat telur melebar seperti jantung hati (love), asimetris, berwarna hijau muda, dan berambut. Jenis baru itu mendapat Hak Perlindungan Varietas Tanaman (PVT) dari Pusat Perlindungan Varietas Tanaman dan Perizinan Pertanian, Kementerian Pertanian. Tahun 2013, dijadwalkan Uji BUSS berupa Kebaruan, Keunikan, Keseragaman, dan Kestabilan.
Tanaman obat
Kekhasan begonia menjadikannya tanaman hias potensial. Beberapa di antaranya malah berpotensi jadi tanaman obat. Menurut Hartutiningsih, saat ini masih dikerjakan penelitian beberapa jenis begonia sebagai tanaman obat yang diduga dapat menyembuhkan beberapa penyakit. Penyakit itu di antaranya demam dan penyakit kelamin sipilis. Ada juga yang mengandung zat pencahar atau obat sakit perut. Begonia glabra diduga berkhasiat sebagai obat penyembuh luka baru. Daun, batang, dan bunganya mengandung saponin. Daunnya mengandung tanin, sedangkan batang dan bunganya mengandung flavonoida dan polifenol.
Begonia fimbristipula berkhasiat menurunkan panas/demam, sebagai obat batuk, dan obat sakit pada waktu datang bulan. Jenis ini pula yang sudah diolah menjadi minuman segar berupa teh agak pahit dari China. Begonia multangula dan Begonia robusta dengan nama lokal hariang dipakai masyarakat Sunda di Jawa Barat sebagai pengganti asam untuk sayur. Begonia baliensis Girmansyah sumber obat tradisional untuk menghilangkan batuk dan melegakan tenggorokan. Itu mengandung senyawa aktif yang dapat menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri Bacillus subtilis dan Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Tak hanya eksotis. Begonia pun menyimpan banyak manfaat lain. Ilmu pengetahuan yang bisa mengungkap itu.
Sumber: Kompas
SoundEagle
Jun 03, 2013 @ 11:22:11
Reblogged this on Queensland Begonia Society and commented:
SoundEagle translates from Indonesian:
Begonia that can be found in West Sumatra (photo: naturasumatrana)
Begonia, which is beautiful and Efficacious
Single Nawa | Kompas.com, 29 April 2013
A total of 313 species of begonia collection in the Eka Karya Bedugul Botanical Garden, Bali, has now become the most comprehensive in the world and easily enjoyed in a garden measuring 700 square meters Begonia. The begonia is the only plant with asymmetrical leaves, as well as an ornamental plant that has not been much observed. Begonia (Begoniaceae) as an ornamental plant in Indonesia is not yet popular. However, this plant is in great demand in several countries to the extent that many associations are formed by begonia fans,” said Hartutiningsih, a begonia researcher at the Center for Plant Conservation at the Bogor Botanical Garden, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), beginning in April 2013, at the Eka Karya Bedugul Botanical Garden, Bali.
Specific characteristics of the leaf blade that is asymmetrical (begoniifolia) is one of the exotic traits of begonias, in addition to the forms and colours. Begonias in nature grow wild in watery habitat near the river. Various types of begonias are also easily found around the waterfall. Begonia diversity in the world is estimated to be 1,600 species, distributed in the tropics and subtropics. According to Hartutiningsih, there are more than 200 types of begonias in Indonesia. There are 15 types of natural begonia known in Java; Sumatra (35), Borneo (40), Sulawesi (20) and Papua (70). Begonias in nature grow in different altitudes ranging from humid tropical forests on the plains to the mountains 2,400 meters above sea level.
Collection
The begonia collection in Eka Karya began in 2001. Taking an eight-year effort to create, this collection of the Botanical Garden cultivated at an elevation of 1,250 meters above sea level is the most complete in the world. “We did not declare the collection of begonias to be the most comprehensive in the world,” said Hartutiningsih. Based on the writings of Hoover (2008) at the World Center of Begonia, the Botanical Garden of Bali has the most comprehensive begonia collection in the world. In Eka Karya, the begonia collection started from only five species. For the sake of increasing the number of collections, among others, explorations of a number of island flora and seed exchanges with other botanical gardens have been conducted between this botanical garden and Jardin Botanic Garden (BG), France; Glassgow BG, Scotland; Queen Sirikit BG, Thailand; BG Tubingen, Germany; American Begonia Society Tonkawa, United States, and New England Tropical Conservatory, England.
From 313 begonias collected, there is a division into 100 types of natural begonias and 213 types of exotic begonias as a result of crossing. Addition collection occurred in the 2006-2009 period of exploration on the islands of Sulawesi and Papua. In Papua, the exploration was done in the West Batanta Island Nature Reserve, Raja Ampat, West Papua. Resulting from scientific descriptions, there is now 20 hitherto unknown new species being published in international journals. There are still many other types that have not been scientifically described. Crossbreeding research was also conducted to produce a new type of begonia with attractive physical appearance and better than its parent, unique, and has stronger endurance. Cross-breeding is done by cross-pollination. Begonias are generally self-pollinated.
In 2005, Hartutiningsih crossed Begonia acetosa and Begonia listada. New cultivars are named Begonia Tuti-Siregar. “Tuti” is the new name coined by Hartutiningsih, while “Siregar” is the name of her husband, Mustaid Siregar, the head of the Bogor Botanical Garden. This new cultivar has been registered in the American Begonia Society. Crosses continued to be made in 2007, from female flowers of Begonia puspitae and male flowers of Begonia pasamanensis, producing Begonia Lovely-Jo. Its leaves are uniquely egg-shaped like dilated hearts (of love), asymmetrical, light green and hairless. This new kind of begonia has received Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Rights from the Centre for Plant Variety Protection and Licensing of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture. In 2013, there is going to be a scheduled BUSS test of novelty, uniqueness, uniformity and stability.
Medicinal plants
The distinctiveness of begonias make them into plants with potential. Some of them even have the potential to be medicinal plants. According to Hartutiningsih, who is currently still working on some kind of begonia research, begonias as medicinal plants can supposedly cure several diseases, including fever and the venereal disease syphilis. There are begonias that contain laxatives or substances to treat upset stomach. Begonia glabra is alleged to have medicinal properties for healing new wounds. Its leaves, stems and flowers contain saponins. Its leaves contain tannins, while its stems and flowers contain flavonoids and polyphenols.
Begonia fimbristipula efficaciously reduces temperature/fever, and is a cough medicine and pain medicine in coming months. This type of medicine has been processed into a fresh drink, a somewhat bitter tea from China. Begonia multangula and Begonia robusta with the local name hariang is used by Sundanese people in West Java as a substitute for vegetable acid. Begonia baliensis Girmansyah is a source of traditional medicine used to relieve cough and throat. It contains active compounds that can inhibit the growth of bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Not only exotic. Begonias also contain a lot of other benefits. Science can reveal them.
Source: Kompas
TBU-S
Jun 03, 2013 @ 12:22:00
Thanks for Translation with hope the information would be useful for everyone.
SoundEagle
Jun 03, 2013 @ 12:23:21
You are very welcome. Happy June to all of you!
TBU-S
Jun 03, 2013 @ 12:25:30
So you are…
SoundEagle
Jun 03, 2013 @ 12:26:42
Terima kasih!
SoundEagle
Jun 03, 2013 @ 12:42:05
For your information, the translation has been further improved at http://queenslandbegonia.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/begonia-yang-indah-dan-berkhasiat/.