be·go·nia

[bih-gohn-yuh, -goh-nee-uh]
noun
any tropical plant belonging to the genus Begonia, including species cultivated for the handsome, succulent leaves and waxy flowers.

Origin:
< Neo-Latin (Linnaeus), named after Michel Bégon (1638–1710), French patron of science; see -ia

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World English Dictionary
begonia (bɪˈɡəʊnjə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
any plant of the genus Begonia, of warm and tropical regions, widely cultivated for their ornamental leaves and waxy flowers: family Begoniaceae
 
[C18: New Latin, named after Michel Bégon (1638--1710), French patron of science]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Begonia is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

begonia
1751, from Fr. (1706), named by Plumier for Michel Bégon (1638-1710), French governor of Santo Domingo (Haiti) and patron of botany.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
The impatiens and begonia are breathing their last around the trunks of
  side-street trees.
Diverse begonia species and varieties have been collected to study fertility
  and hardiness.
He empathized with an unsuccessful begonia in the show.
The only native begonia, found in wet ravines often by waterfalls.
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