The Begonia is a genus of perennial flowering plants within the family Begoniacea, which contains more than 1,400 species. Native to subtropical and tropical climates in Africa, Asia and South and Central America, the Begonia is known for its bright, beautiful flowers. As such, it is commonly grown as an indoor houseplant in cooler climates. Flowers have sepals but no petals and the plant itself is monoecious, meaning it has unisexual male and female flowers. It was named in the mid-18th century for Michel Bégon, a former governor of Haiti, by Charles Plumier, a French botanist.