254 BEGONIACEAE. 



1. BEGONIA L. 



A number of kinds of Begonias are grown in gardens and in greenhouses. 



Begonia fuchsioides Hook., FUCHSIA-LIKE BEGONIA, of Northern South 

 America, is glabrous, or nearly so, about 2 high, with small green elliptic- 

 ovate, finely serrate leaves 1'-1A' long, and scarlet flowers in drooping clusters. 



Begonia heracleifolia Cham. & Schl., COW-PARSNIP BEGONIA, Mexican, has 

 palmately-lobed, long-petioled leaves 12' broad or less, the stout petioles long- 

 hairy, the leaf-lobes variously toothed, the long, upright peduncles bearing 

 numerous, slender-pedicelled, white or pinkish flowers. 



Begonia goegoensis Brown, FIRE-KING BEGONIA, Sumatran, is glabrous, 

 with long-petioled, broadly ovate, short-acuminate, entire peltate radiate- 

 veined, usually blotched and rugose leaves 4'-7' long, and long-peduncled clus- 

 ters of pinkish flowers. 



Begonia ulmifolia Willd., ELM-LEAVED BEGONIA, of Trinidad and South 

 America, recorded by Lefroy, is a leafy -species, 2-5 high, pubescent with 

 brownish hairs, the obliquely elliptic, doubly serrate, pinnately-veined leaves 3'- 

 8' long, the white or pinkish flowers in much-branched clusters. 



Begonia hydrocotylifolia Otto, MARSH-PENNYWORT BEGONIA, Mexican, also 

 recorded by Lefroy, is pubescent all over, with nearly orbicular, cordate, short- 

 petioled leaves 2' broad or less, the peduncles about 1 high, bearing rose-red 

 flowers. 



Begonia minor Jacq., JAMAICA BEGONIA, of Jamaica, a glabrous branched 

 species 2-4 high, with very obliquely ovate, subcordate, acuminate nearly 

 entire leaves 2'-4' long, and numerous white flowers in large cymes, is occa- 

 sionally grown. 



Begonia Bex Putz, BEX BEGONIA, of Assam, has short fleshy robtstocks, 

 differing in this feature from all the preceding species, which have fibrous 

 roots ; its long-petioled, obliquely ovate, cordate pubescent leaves are basal, 

 green with a silvery-grey zone, and undulate-margined; its showy rose-colored 

 flowers are 2' broad or less. 



Order 25. OPUNTIALES. 



Fleshy plants, with continuous or jointed stems, leafless, or with small 

 leaves (Pereskia has normal leaves), generally abundantly spiny, the spines 

 developed from cushions of wool or minute bristles (areolae). Flowers 

 mostly solitary, sessile, perfect, regular, showy. Calyx-tube adnate to the 

 ovary, its limb many-lobed. Petals numerous, imbricated in several rows, 

 mostly distinct. Stamens numerous, inserted on the throat of the calyx. 

 Filaments filiform; anthers small. Ovary 1-celled; ovules numerous, anat- 

 ropous, borne on several parietal placentae. Style terminal, elongated; 

 stigmas numerous. Fruit a berry, mostly fleshy, sometimes nearly dry. 

 Seeds smooth, or tubercled, the testa usually crustaceous or bony; endo- 

 sperm little, or copious. Only one family. 



Family 1. CACTACEAE Lindl. 



CACTUS FAMILY. 



Characters of the order. About 100 genera and at least 1000 species, 

 nearly all natives of America. 



