Tas. 4974, 
BEGONIA microprera. 
Short-winged Begonia. 
Nat. Ord. Becontacem.—Monecta PoLyaNpDRIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4172.) 
BEGONIA microptera ; subglanduloso-villosa, caule erecto terete herbaceo viridi, 
foliis alternis subdistantibus ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis acute duplicato- 
serratis inequilateris. basi inferiore obtuse auriculatis viridibus subtus 
pallidis, venis rubris, petiolis brevibus (semiuncialibus), stipulis longitudine 
petioli lanceolato-subulatis membranaceis apiculatis, panicula terminali co- 
rymbosa, bracteolis lanceolatis ciliato-serratis, flore masc. tetrasepalo, se- 
palis 2 cordato-ovatis 2 oblongo-lanceolatis integerrimis, foem. pentasepalo . 
sepalis obovatis eequalibus serratis, fructu (vix matura) oblonga pubescente 
angulis 2 exalatis tertio ala brevissima. 
The leaves of this species are very pretty, especially on the 
under side, where the bright red, prominent veins are very con- 
spicuous ; but the flowers, though numerous, are deficient in 
colour, neither are the stamens or stigmas of so deep a yellow 
as is usual with the Begoniacee. The peculiar character of the 
species is to be found in the very narrow wings of the fruit ; 
two of the angles, indeed, can hardly be said to be winged at 
all, and the third has a very narrow wing, more so than in any 
species with which I am acquainted. It is a native of Borneo, 
whence it was imported by Messrs. Low, of Clapton, in whose 
stove it flowered in the month of December, 1856. 
Dezscr. Stems a foot to a foot and a half high, terete, green 
or greenish, subglanduloso-pubescent, as is the rest of the plant,’ 
branched, branches few. Leaves subdistichous, four to nearly 
six inches long, ovato-lanceolate, subfalcate, inequilateral, acu- 
minate, sharply duplicato-serrate, the inferior base of the leaf 
dilated into a large auricle; the colour a rather dark, full green 
above, beneath very pale green, with the prominent nerves 
bright red, and there is a red spot also at the base of the costa 
above. Pefiole about half an inch long, red at the top, where it 
MARCH Ist, 1857. 
