By Ptarotuos
Tokyo,
Japan 
On a walk around the mountains I came across several of these beautiful flowers, apparently growing wild. I think they are native to Hakone, Japan, but though I walked around a lot, I only found them in a small pocket, so nature has deployed them quite sparingly. What interested me was that the (I presume unopened - not finished) flowers were hanging like bells (you can see one in the picture) whereas the fully opened ones were as you can see. The plant itself was a bout 20 cms high and about the same in diameter. Does anyone have any ideas? The point being, I would like to have some in the garden. Thanks everyone.
On plant
Please identify
5 Oct, 2010
Answers
growing wild Tug?, would that be the parent of the cultivated ones we see today
thankyou Ptarotous for showing us
5 Oct, 2010
There are some really interesting species begonia in the wild, Pam, and this is one of them. The Begonia Society sometimes bring a display of species to Gardening Scotland and, although I am not a begonia fan, I love looking at them.
5 Oct, 2010
Thank you for your comments all. As you can see I'm a bit of a novice with flowers, but it's a real delight to wander around the mountains and to see the wild plants. There were at least another 10 fascinating flowering plants growing wild, but the battery on my iPhone gave up after the begonia. Next time. I think I may well start a bog. There us something great about seeing flowers growing uncultivated. What a great web community by the way.
5 Oct, 2010
It is Ptarotuos, where else could we meet folk from all over the world interested in the things that we are! and to see the beautiful plants and wildlife there that is normal to where we live
5 Oct, 2010
I agree, Ptarotous, and welcome to GoY. I would much rather walk the mountains and see the plants in the wild but, unfortunately, I can only manage this on a few occaisions each year. So I just have to do my best to grow some of them in the garden.
5 Oct, 2010
Correction - I am of course not intending to start a bog, but a Blog, and 'There is something...' not 'There us something' - the joys of the iPhone's automatic text correction I'm afraid. Apologies all.
5 Oct, 2010
quite alright I have to read through mine before I submit --- and even then i miss some ;-)))
5 Oct, 2010
That's a begonia of some kind! Maybe close kin to B. evansiana?
5 Oct, 2010