TAB. : 8322. 
BEGONIA Marriana, var. GRANDIFLORA. 
Mexico. 
BEGONIACEAE. 
Begonia, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 841. 
Begonia (Knesebeckia) Martiana, Link et Otto, Ic, Rar. p. 49, t. 25; var. 
grandiflora, Garnier in Jil. Hort, sér. vi. vol. ii. p. 98, fig. 14; a forma 
typica floribus majoribus praesertim differt. 
Herba terrestris, tuberosa, tubere ellipsoideo-oblongo carnoso circiter 5 em. 
longo, caule 30-45 cm. alto, ramis erectis carnosis glabris foliosis, Folia 
petiolata, oblique cordata, subacuta, duplicato-crenata, glabra vel parce 
pilosa, 8-15 cm. longa, 5-8 em. lata, petiolis 1-3 cm. longis; stipulae late 
ovatae, subintegrae. lores bracteati bracteolatique, axillares, singuli vel 
fasciculati, magni, rosei, masculi 4-meri, feminei saepius 5-meri; bracteae 
foliaceae, supra gradatim minores et subconcavae; bracteolae late ovatae, 
obtusae, submembranaceae. Sepala suborbicularia, 2-5-8 cm. lata, sub- 
concava. Petala suborbicularia, 1-1-5 cm. lata. Stamina numerosa, 
filamentis basi in columnam brevem connatis. Styli 3, basi connati, 
superne 2-fidi. Capsula 3-alata, alis inaequalibus erenulatis, apice stylis | 
persistentibus coronata.—R. A. Rours. 
The handsome Begonia which forms the subject of our 
plate is perhaps best considered a garden race of JB. 
Martiana, Link and Otto, a native of Mexico, which the late 
Mr. A. de Candolle considered to be itself no more than a 
variety of B. gracilis, Kunth, The examination of a large 
series of specimens, however, has led Mr. Rolfe to take the 
view that the two are, on the whole, better treated as 
distinct species; B. gracilis is always a smaller plant than 
normal B. Martiana, with more slender and never strictly 
erect stems, while it has much more divided leaves and a 
different inflorescence. As thus separated B. Martiana is 
represented in gardens by three more or less readily dis- 
tinguishable forms, known respectively as var. grandiflora, 
var, puleherrima and var. racemiflora. They differ but 
slightly from each other and have all been familiar plants 
in Begonia collections during the past twenty years. All 
three are good garden plants, with stems sometimes reach- 
ing 2 ft. in height when well grown, though when they 
Jury, 1910. 
