572 LXV. BEGONIACEH. (HOOKER.) [ Begonia. 
brown, shining and woody. Leaves scattered, very shortly petioled, 
3-3} by $-3 in., narrow, elliptic-lanceolate, quite entire, slightly ob- 
lique, acuminate, base acute, membranous (fleshy when fresh ?) nerves 
and costa very slender, surfaces quite similar; petiole § in. ; stipules 
subulate-lanceolate, minutely stellately-pubescent when young. ae 
duncles axillary, capillary, $ in. long, dichotomously forked and 2-3- 
flowered or simple; bracts at the forks minute, oblong, membranous, 
obtuse ; pedicels short, capillary. Male fl.: Minute. Sepals 2, oblong, 
obtuse, } in. long. Petals 2, narrow-linear. Anthers 8, linear-subu- 
late, acute, as long as the sepals; filaments connate into a short column. 
Female fl.: Solitary? shortly peduncled. Sepals and petals as in the 
male, but larger. Styles nos seen. Ovary very slender, {in. ~ ine 
ture capsule nearly 1 in. long, narrow, fusiform, attenuated at bo 
ends, quite glabrous, very membranous. 
Upper Guinea. Old Calabar, Thomson! ) 
A very curious species, closely resembling in the dried state Polygonum aviculare. 
5. B. scapigera, Hook. f. Moncecious. Stemless, almost oe 
glabrous. Rootstock woody, creeping. Leaves all radical, 4-8 by ~— 
in., very long (5—10 in.) -petioled, peltate, obliquely ovate, a 
acuminate, rounded at the base, Shscutols sinuate-toothed or qu 
entire, ciliate towards the tips, nerves about 10, radiating from the top 
of the petiole, slender; petioles stout, rarely with a few long i 
stipules small, ovate, membranous, ciliate. Scape solitary, erect, oe ; 
10-14 in., slightly hairy above, usually forked, 2—3-bracteate at as 
forks, moneecious; bracts and bracteoles small, orbicular or oblong, 
ciliate-toothed. Flowers erect, solitary or several together, terminating 
the scape or its branches, subumbellate, all male or female and m 
mixed. Male fl.: 1} in. diameter. Pedicels 3-14 in. long. Sepals ie 
orbicular. Stamens numerous; filaments connate at the base; oe 
thers small, oblong, obtuse, equalling the free portion of the oe 
Female fl.: Similar, but smaller, sessile or very shortly pedice ni 
Ovary 1}-2 in. long, very slender; styles 2; stigmas forked, arm 
short, papillose band continuous, twisted. Capsule very slender, 1} m 
long, sahroiies 
Upper Guinea. Cameroons mountains, alt. 4000 ft., Mann! Fi. Dee. 
: 6. B. scutifolia, Hook. J. Moneecious. Stemless. Rootstock ig, * 
ing. Leaves all radical, subpeltate, very long-petioled, 1}- 5 in. 
1}-2in., obliquely ovate or rotundate, acuminate, gibbous, deprenne 
the petiole, margin ciliate, obscurely sinuate-toothed or quite - ‘os 
glabrous above and below; nerves 5-7, radiating from the top °" |. 
petiole, very fine, hairy below; petiole peltately attached just ne 
the margin, hirsute with curled hairs, 14—4 in.; stipules ovate, i : 
membranous, long-ciliate. Scapes very slender, shorter than ¢ °F 
tiole, hairy, usually 2 collateral, one with 1 female-fl., the page a 
male pedicelled, and one female sessile fl. at the top; bracts 4 . 
teoles small, ovate, membranous, brown, long-ciliate with curle 
