Tas. 4983. 
BEGONIA HERACLEIFOLIA; V@7. NIGRICANS. 
Hog-weed Begonia; blackish-leaved var. 
Nat. Ord. BEgontacEm.—Mone@cia PoLyaNnDBIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4172.) 
Brconta heraclejfolia ; acaulis, foliis subeequaliter cordatis profunde palmatis, 
lobis 7 lato-lanceolatis magis minusve acuminatis incisis serratisque ciliatis 
sublonge petiolatis, petiolis scapisque elongatis patenti-hispidis, panicula 
composita, corollis dipetalis, fructu trialato, alis 2 rotundatis brevibus tertia 
elongata ovata porrecta maxima. 
Brconra heracleifolia. Schlecht. et Cham. in Linnea, v. 5. p.603. Lindl. Bot. 
Reg. p. 1668. Grah. in N. Phil. Journ. Ed. July, 1833. Lindl. Bot. Reg. 
p- 1668. Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 3444. 
Grreoupia heracleifolia. Klotzsch, in Begon. Gatt. und Art. p. 94. 
Var. nigricans ; foliis nigro-variegatis. 
BgcGonta punctata. Link et Otto, Ic. Pl. Rar. p. 17. t.7. Begonia punctata et 
B. nigricans, Hort. Berol. 
Grreovupt1a heracleifolia, 8. punctata. Klotzsch, in Begon. Gatt. und Art. p. 95. 
This is a very handsome variety, but assuredly nothing more, 
of the well-known Begonia heracleifolia, and justly recorded as 
such by our friend Dr. Klotzsch, in his beautiful work on the 
Begoniacee above quoted ; yet it still continues to be dispersed 
as a species, sometimes under the name of B. punctata, some- 
times under that of nigricans. It is a misfortune when a genus 
of plants becomes a favourite, as is just now the case with 
that under consideration, with cultivators: for then it becomes 
an object with horticulturists and nurserymen to multiply the 
species in all manner of ways; till at length, as with Cape 
Heaths, Cape Geraniacee, Calceolaria, etc. etc., to name them 
becomes a hopeless task. The present species is a native of 
Mexico ; and the variety a very handsome one: the leaves being 
green, blotched with a deeper and almost black tint at the mar- 
gins of the lobes: the petioles, scapes, and ramifications of the 
flower-stalks are tinged with red: the bracts are pale green, the 
MAY Ist, 1857. 
