Missouri Botanical 
Garden Bulletin 
Vol. IV St. Louis, Mo., June, 1916 No. 6 
TUBEROUS BEGONIAS 
During the summer the tuberous begonia, with its large 
- waxy flowers of various colors, has no equal for an indoor 
floral display, and the Garden will have a large collection on 
exhibit during the months of July and August. 
The begonia was named after a French patron of botany, 
M. Begon, and the term “tuberous” is applied because the 
group possesses perennial rootstocks. Thirty-five years ago 
the plant was just beginning to attract popular attention. 
At that time a number of hybrid forms were introduced, 
and the evolution since then has resulted in the production 
of varieties with large-sized blossoms as double as a rose. At 
the present time nearly every imaginable tint is being 
shown, as well as many shapes which often present an extra- 
ordinary similarity to other flowers, such as camellia, rose, 
hollyhock, carnation, and peony. In a great many varieties 
the petals are round, in some short and narrow, while in 
others they are fine and frilled; sometimes they are loose 
and open and often the reverse is true. Many of the flowers 
are flat when open, a few are anemone-centered, and others 
are globular, pyramidal, or elliptical. The plant blooms 
continuously from June to October, the duration of the indi- 
_ vidual flowers varying from three to six weeks from time of 
opening. : 
The first species concerned in the parentage of the present- 
day forms was Begonia boliviensis, which was introduced 
into England from Bolivia in 1864, It is characterized by 
long narrow leaves and scarlet fuchsia-like flowers. This 
species has recently been crossed with some of the double 
and single forms and has given rise to a type with long 
pendulous stems and drooping flowers which is very suit- 
able for hanging baskets. = oe 
The next species to be introduced was Begonia Pearci, also 
from Bolivia, in 1866. The plant has_ yellow flowers 
in axillary panicles and has been the chief factor in the pro- 
duction of huonvecis of yellow, buff, and Seige forms. In 
1867 B. rosaeflora was brought from Peru. It _ Stig 
