Tab. 7028. 

 BEGONIA Scharffil 



Native of South Brazil. 



Nat. Ord. Begoniace^. 

 Genus Begonia, Linn. ; {Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. Pi. vol. i. p. 841.) 



Bkgoitta Scharjjii ; elata, robuata, hinpido-piloaa, ramis petiolii pednnoulia pedt- 

 cellisque s.Tn<iuineis, fnli ; s amplia oblique ovatn-cordatia acuminafia ainuato- 

 dentiitis, lobia baealibna rotandxtia ainu aoatia«imo supra aatarafa riridtbag 

 Bulitus sanyjuincis, nervia valid is sulifiis prominentibua, atipolia bivvibna 

 triangularibue viridiba*, cymia roultiflori*, braoteia parvia ovatia, Boribna amplia 

 albis, masc. majoribus aepalia orbicalaribua, petalia angoata oboTato-apatnu* 

 lati«, staminibus in globmn parvura diapoaitia, antberia iineari-oblongta obtaae 

 apiculatis filamentia longioribua, fi. fern, aepalia 5 dorao ^etosis late elliptioia 

 obtusis, styli 3 ramis apiraGter tortia, ovario pilis sanguineis dense bi^pido 

 3-loculari, placentis integris v. 2-iidis. 



The magnificent species here figured is an example of 

 the great difficulty of classifying the species of the vast 

 genus to which it belongs, for in having both entire and 

 bifid placentae, sometimes even in the same ovary, it 

 vitiates one of the very best characters hitherto employed 

 for forming the great groups of Begonia. If it is to be 

 regarded as normally having bifid placentas, it is referable 

 to A. De Candolle's section Begoniastrum (Prodr. xv. i. 

 292), and would be included in that botanist's third division 

 of the group, in which the sepals are hispid externally with 

 coloured hairs, but that division is further characterized 

 by having either peltate or palmate leaves. If, on the 

 other hand, the placentas are to be regarded as normally 

 uudivided, it would be referable technically to the section 

 Eivaldia. On the whole I am disposed to refer it to 

 Begoniastrum, because of its obvious affinity with B. 

 Schmidtiana (Regel, Gartenflora, vol. xxviii. (1879) p. 321, 

 t. 990), which is also a native of South Brazil, and is 

 referred by its author to Begoniastrum, By a curious 

 coincidence the latter plant bears the name of a member of 

 the eminent firm of Horticulturists by which B. 8charffiana 

 was introduced. B. Schmidtiana differs in its glabrous 

 ovary. 



Messrs. Haage and Schmidt inform me, that mixed with 

 the seed of the plant here figured, were those of two other 



DECEMBER 1.8T, 1888. 



