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Dictionary definition: begonia
- Article from:
- A New Dictionary of Eponyms
- Author:
Copyright© A New Dictionary of Eponyms 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information)
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begonia
Michel Bégon (1638–1710) was appointed commissioner for Santo Domingo by Louis XIV after Bégon married Jeanne-Elisabeth de Beauharnais, sister of Marquis de Beauharnais, governor-general of New France. Although there is some dispute as to the nature of Bégon's duties, some historians believe that he served for a while as governor of Santo Domingo.
Bégon was an enthusiastic amateur botanist. He organized a detailed study of the plant life on the island and collected many specimens. One tropical plant that he collected was a genus of a ...