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Begonia, ] 



Lxyi. BEGQNiACBis, (C. B. Clarke.) 



635 



. :Vae.? Hookeri; seeds without any wing.— Khasia Mts., alt. 3000-4800 ft. ; 

 . ' -P- ^. — The example is a stout leafless one with large ripe fruits. The seeds are 

 in situ in the capsule so that the wing cannot have been broken off (as happens with 

 «^8 of Zanonia kept separate). This may be an accidental var. of A. clavigera or it 

 May be a new species. 



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Okder lxyi. 



(By 0. B. Clarke.) 



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- . Succulent herbs or undershrubs ; stem often reduced to a rhizome or tuber. 

 -Leaves alternate (sometimes falsely whorled in -5. verticUlata) , more or less 

 toequal-sided, entire toothed or lobed ; stipules 2, free, frequently deciduous. 

 -Peduncles axillary, divided into dichotomous cymes, the branches and bracts 

 at their divisions generally opposite. Flowers white rose or yellow, sbowy,' 

 fi^metimes small, monoecious. Male : perianth (of the only Indian genus) of 2 

 outer valvate opposite sepaloid segments, and 2-0 inner smaller segments; 

 stamens indefinite often very many, free or monadelphous, anthers narrowly 

 ^void. Female: perianth (of the only Indian genus) of 6-2 segments. 

 Ovan/ inferior (in HUdebrandia half-superior), 2-3-4-celled ; placentas vertical, 

 axile (at the time pf aestivation), divided or simple ; styles 2-4, free or com- 

 plied at the base, stigmas bmnched or tortuous; ovules very many. Fruit 



very scanty or 0. — Distrib. Species 400 (of which 398 



belong to the genus Begonia)^ in all tropical moist countries ; not yet met with 

 10 Australia. 





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1. BS60NZA, Linn. 



Character of the Order. 



Sect. I. Casparya. iS^awie?w numerous, shortly monadelphous ; j 

 ^^wly oblong, connective slightly produced, obtuse. Ovary 4-celled 

 \(indollei 3-celled\ placentas ^-^^ nr S-nartiti^. Fruit more or less flesl 



J ; carpels not much compressed, nor having 

 wing. (None small : leaves in all very une 



ease.) 



: ■^1. B. Roxburgrhii, A. DC. Prodr. xv. pt. i. 398; stem lengthened with 

 inflorescence clustered near the axils, leaves ovate nearly glabrous sinuate-toothed 

 freely serrate, fruit subpyramidal 4-celled very succulent angles obtuse ending 



B. mala- 



small 



Kurz in Joum. As. Soc. 1877, pt. ii. 107. 

 Ind. iii. G48, not of Lamk. Diploclinium Roxburgh! i, 3fzy 

 p. 692. Oasparya? oligocarp and polycarpa, DC. Frodr. 



pt- 1. 276, 27Y. 



Fi^m NrpAT to Burma ; not uncommon in North and East Bengal with Assam, 

 lending to 4000 ft. 



: . Soot fibrous, not tuberoup. Stem usually 1-3 ft., erect, succulent, glabrous or 

 r^^^'^tely pubescent when young. Leaves 6-9 in., acuminate, glabrous or minutely 

 P^oescent on the nerves of both surfaces; petiole 2-5 in.; stipules lanceolate, gla- 

 r^^, deciduous. Ct/Tn^s short, axillary, dichotomous, with narrow lanceolate linear 

 J^cts, often few-flowered, producing but one or two fruits from each axil. Malk Fl.: 

 ^P?ls 2, large, glabrous, nearly white; petals uraally 2, smaller than the sepals, 

 ^^te or nearly so ; stamens about 60. Femalk : ovary cells 4 ; placentas very 



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