Tap. 8412. 
BEGONIA  picurea. 
a. 
BEGONIACEAE. 
Braonta, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. Stl. 
Begonia (Knesebeckia) dichroa, Sprague in Oestr. Gart. Zeit. 1907, p. 418, et 
in Kew Bull. 1908, p. 251; floribus masculis coccineis, femineis albo- 
coccineis distincta. 
Planta elata, glabra, pilis minutis moniliformibus glandulosis in innovationes 
et inflorescentiam adspersis exceptis. Folia plantae juvenilis rhomboideo- 
elliptica, semicordata, acuminata, 10-12 cm. longa, 5-5°5 em. lata, albo- 
maculata; folia plantae adultae ovato-oblonga, acute acuminata, basi valde 
obliqua, semicordata, 8-nervia nervis infimis parvis inconspicuis superne 
nervis utrinque 3-5 penninervia, 22-30 em. longa, 9-13°5 cm. lata, margine 
leviter undulata, supra saturate viridia, nitidula, subtus pallida; petioli 
2-5 cm. longi; stipulae ovatae, acute acuminatae, 2-5 cm. longae, 1:5 em. 
latae. Pedunculus 3-6°5 cm. longus. Dichasium multiflorum, floribus 
masculis terminalibus, femineis axillaribus. Bracteae cymbiformes, in 
statu explanata ovatae, obtusae, 1-1-5 cm. longae, 0°8-1 cm. latae, ut 
rhachis coccineae. Flores masculi pedicellis circiter 2 em. longis. 
Perianthit segmenta 4, coccinea, 2 exteriora late obovata, obtusa, 2°3 em. 
longa, 1:9 cm. lata, 2 interiora oblanceolata, rotundata, 1-2 em. longa, 
4-5 mm. lata. Stamina in toro convexo 1°5 mm. alto insidentia; filamenta 
2-3 mm. longa; antherae obovoideo-oblongae, vix 1°5 mm. longae, loculis 
versus basin convergentibus. lores feminei sessiles vel breviter pedicel- 
lati. Perianthii segmenta coccinea, 5, quorum 2 exteriora late obovata, 
obtusa, 1:4 cm. longa, 1°1 cm. lata, intimum oblongum, rotundatum, 
7-8 mm. longum, vix 4 mm. latum, cetera 2 intermedia. Ovariwm 3- 
loculare, 1:5 cm. longum, primum album, tandem purpureo-tinctum, 
alis 6-7 mm. latis, placentis bipartitis undique ovuliferis. Styli basi 
brevissime connati, 3-3°5 mm. longi, bifurcati, ramis vix ultra 1 mm. 
longis in helicem sesquicyclicam tortis, papillis stigmaticis externe infra 
furcam continuis.—T. A. SPRAGUE. 
The interesting Begonia which forms the subject of our 
illustration was obtained for the Kew collection in 1907 
from Messrs. Haage & Schmidt, Erfurt. It occupies a some- 
what isolated place within the section Knesebeckia, yet while 
this is its most satisfactory systematic position as the species 
of this extensive genus are at present classified, it bears a 
striking resemblance to B. maculata, Raddi, a species 
which belongs, however, to the section Gaerdtia, in which 
the two segments of the placenta bear ovules on their outer 
surfaces only. The most natural explanation of this 
January, 1912. 
