Tab. 5707. 

 BEGONIA FALCIFOLIA. 



The Sickle-leaved Begonia. 



Nat. Ord. Begoniacejs. — Moikecia Polyandkia. 

 Gen. Char. {Vide supra, Tab. 4131.) 



Begonta falcifolia ; pagina superiore folii setosa excepta glaberrima, 

 nitida, caule erecto subramoso, foliis petiolatia lanceolato - falcatis 

 attenuato-acuminatia basi oblique cordatis, irregulariter aerrato-den- 

 tatis uno latere sublobatis junioribus albo-punctatis, subtus rubro-pur- 

 pureia aupra saturate viridibua innorescentia roseo-purpurea, perianthii 

 foliolis $ et £ 2 orbiculatis roaeia ataminibua breviter monadelphis, 

 ovario 3-alato apice contracto, stylis 3, atigmatorum cruribus brevibus 

 fascia papillosa semel torta basi continua cinctia, placentis integris. 



A very lovely species, a native of Peru, from whence it was 

 imported by Messrs. Veitch, being discovered by their col- 

 lector, Mr. Pearce. For the plant here figured, which has 

 been in flower almost ever since Christmas, the Royal Gar- 

 dens are indebted to W. Wilson Sanders, Esq., F.R.S. I am 

 at a loss to which of Klotzsch's or A. De Candolle's sections 

 of the genus to refer it, there being none of these with en- 

 tire placentas which have but two leaflets of the perianth in 

 both the male and female flower. 



Descr. Steins one to two feet high, glabrous, terete, erect, 

 more or less branched. Leaves petiolate, four to seven inches 

 long, petiole an inch and a half to two inches, falcate-lanceo- 

 late, gradually narrowed to the tip, base two-lobed-cordate, 

 the larger lobe produced laterally, irregularly serrate or du- 

 plicate dentate-serrate, four or six smaller teeth occurring 

 between the larger, veins very oblique, prominent beneath, 

 under-surface deep red-purple, upper very deep green, often 

 bronzed, covered with short, stiff, scattered, erect hairs, the 

 younger spotted with white. Stipules small, oblong, acute. 

 Panicles short, axillary, hermaphrodite, six- to ten-flowered, 

 much shorter than the leaves, rose-pink ; peduncles and pedi- 

 cels very slender ; bracts small, oblong. Perianth of both 



MAY 1st, 1868. 



