Plate 354. 

 i3EG0 lA BOLIVENSIS. 



Few collectors have been more successful in adding to our 

 stores of useful jili^nts than Mr. Pearce, who has for so long 

 been engaged in ransacking portions of South America, in the 

 interests of Messrs. Veitch and Son, of Chelsea ; his disco- 

 veries are such, tliat they come within the reach of a large 

 number of horticulturists, from their being adapted for green- 

 house culture ; and in this, one of the most recent of his in- 

 troductions, we think that we can hail another valuable addi- 

 tion to our new plants. 



Vie learn from tlie ' Botanical Magazine,' in wliich it has 

 just been figured (Tab. 5G57), that it was discovered by ^^'ed- 

 dell in the Cordillera of Bolivia ; but we suppose it was merely 

 retained as a dried specimen in his licrbarium, for it was re- 

 garded as quite a new plant when sent home by Mr. Pearce ; 

 and we know that wlien it was exhibited at the Paris Interna- 

 tional Show in May, it attracted more of the attention, both of 

 botanists and horticulturists, than any plant there exhibited ; 

 it was afterwards exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society 

 at Kensington, and was tliere greatly admired. The root is 

 tuberous, and the stem rises from it to the height of about 

 two feet, although possibly, under cultivation, it may become 

 larger ; the flowers are very freely produced, in groups of two 

 and three, springing from the main stem, and hang down 

 gracefully, displaying their brilliant scarlet colour very well. 

 There is a good deal of peculiaritj' in the structure of the plant, 

 differing from other Begonias, which makes it a plant of con- 

 siderable interest to botanists. It often happens with our new 

 introductions, however, that many of them are interesting both 

 to tiic botanist and horticulturist ; tliis Begonia is one of these, 



