Tas. 5897. 
BEGONTA crinita. 
Native of Bolivia. 
Nat. Ord. BEGoNIACEA. 
Genus Brgonta, Linn. ; (Benth. and Hook, f. Gen. Pl., vol. i. p. 841). 
Brconta crinita; caule erecto folioso petiolisque rubris pilis elongatis 
patentibus laxe crinitis, foliis valde obliquis dimidiatis ovato-cordatis 
acuminatis margine lobulatis et argute dentatis viridibus pilosis subtus 
pallidioribus v. purpurascentibus, petolis rubris, stipulis ovato-lanceolatis 
recurvis viridibus, cymis erectis dichotomis, bracteis viridibus oppositis 
latis concavis ciliatis, floribus roseis nutantibus subternis intermedio $ 
longius pedicellato ; fl. g perianthii foliolis 4, 2 exterioribus late ovatis 
obtusis, 2 interioribus multo angustioribus obovato-oblongis, staminibus 
in capitulum confertis, filamentis brevibus, antheris late obovoideis, 
fl. Q perianthii foliolis 5 subequalibus obovato-oblongis, stigmatibus 
3—2-lobis, ramis brevibus tortis fascia papillosa basi continua cinctis, 
placentis 2-partitis undique ovuliferis, capsula 3-alata, ala dorsali 
triangulari acuta. . 
Beeonta crinita, Oliver in Herb. Hook. 
_ Specimens of this very elegant Begonia were sent by Messrs. 
Veitch, to the Herbarium of the Royal Gardens, in July, 1866, 
and again in 1867, and determined to be new by Professor 
Oliver, who gave it the above name. It was introduced by 
Messrs. Veitch’s able South American collector, the late 
Mr. Pearce, from the Bolivian Andes, it is supposed; but 
as that energetic traveller visited various parts of the 
Cordillera, absolute confidence cannot be placed in the 
reputed habitat. There is a remarkable tendency in the 
branches to develop hairs on that surface only which faces 
the petiole of the leaf inserted below it, the petiole itself being 
hairy all round. ee 
I know of no very close ally of this species, which is not 
clearly referable to any of A. De Candolle’s sections of this 
extensive and very difficult genus. The specimen here 
APRIL Ist, 1871. 
