dozen species in common and one species alone, 7. Balsamina, 
Linn., the origin of the garden Balsam, is a native of all. 
The plant now figured is a native of the last mentioned 
area, in which about 60 other species have been found; of 
these species I. platypetala, Lindl., from Java, is a typical 
member. Salient characters of these are the whorled leaves 
and simply pedicelled flowers met with in many of them, 
together with more or less obcordate standard and wing- 
lobes, a long spur and very short filaments with confluent, 
broad, nearly erect, introrse anthers. 
_ I. Hawkeri was discovered by Lieut. Hawker, R.N. ‘There 
is a specimen in the Kew Herbarium, which was received 
in November, 1884, from Dr. Schomburgk of the Adelaide 
Botanical Gardens—some two years prior to the earliest 
publication of the name—ticketed as from Lieut. Hawker 
and as native of one of the South Sea Islands, the name of 
which was forgotten. From this it appears that in all 
probability the plant was first raised in Adelaide and thence 
transmitted to Mr. Bull, of Che'sea, in whose catalogue it 
was included for the first time in 1886. A second herbarium 
specimen was communicated by Messrs. Veitch in 1897; it 
was collected by Mr. Burke. A third was sent from the 
Singapore Botanical Garden, ticketed as from “EK. Brit. 
New Guinea, W. Micholitz, 1898.” There is also a specimen 
in the British Museum Herbarium, cellected by Mr. H. 0. 
Forbes “near South Cape on the mainland.” 
In Mr. Bull’s Catalogue /, Hawkeri was described as a 
handsome species of free growth and good habit, flowering 
in great profusion from March until October. For a time 
it enjoyed considerable popularity, but it suffered so 
frequently from attacks of the Begonia mite ( Tarsonymus) 
that it went almost entirely out of cultivation, When in 
good health it grows vigorously, forming a shapely plant 
about 2 ft. high, well furnished with leaves and flowering 
freely and continuously during the summer. It requires 
tropical conditions with plenty of atmospheric moisture and 
shade from bright sunshine. 
Derscriprion.—Jerb, 14-2 ft. high; stem stout, branches 
spreading, quite glabrous except on the young shoots. 
Leaves 4-6 in, long, opposite below, whorled above, firm, 
ovate-oblong, acuminate, sharply serrate, pale beneath, base 
