on the Genus of Begonia, — 0 PRO 
PisT. Germen inferum, triquetrum, in plurimis alatum. Sy ple- 
rifque tres, bifidi. Stigmata fex. 
Per. Cap/u/a plerifque triquetra, alata, trilocularis, bafi fecus alas 
dehifcens; aliis (5, 6) bilocularis; alis (4, 18) forté unilo- 
cularis. 
Character Effentialis. 
Masc. Calyx nullus. Corolla polypetala. Stamina numerofa. 
Fem. Calyx nullus. Corolla polypetala, fupera. Capfula alata, poly- 
{perma. 
Habitus mig 
Tota planta carnofa. 
Caulis plerifque herbaceus, fed fpecies dés acaules. . 
Folia petiolata, in caulefcentibus alterna. 
Stipule ad bafin petiolorum bine. 
Pedunculi plerifque dichotomi, in caulefcentibus axillares. 
Locus Natalis. | 
Inter tropicos, in Afia et America. In Africæ continente nulla fpe- 
cies hucufque inventa, fed in infulis adjacentibus tres. 
| Species. 
I. Beconta nitida, fruticofa erecta, foliis glaberrimis inæqualiter 
. . cordatis obfoleté dentatis, capfulæ ala maxima fubrotunda. 
. Begonia nitida. Hort. Kew. ii. p. 352. | : 
Begonia obliqua. L’ Herit. Stirp. Now. i. p. 95. tab. 46. (exclufis fy-- 
nonymis plurimis). 
Begonia minor. Facqu. Collect. i. p. 128. n. 3. defcr. in p. 126*. 
Begonia purpurea. Swarts Prodr. 86 
Habitat in Jamaica. Gul. Wright. n 
This elegant fhrub, which is now a common ornament to our . 
hot-houfes, was intr oduced here in the year 1777. 
à Jeon, vol. ii. 
