378 



THE BEGONIA. 



very well, especially il intermixed with a 

 portion of small lumps of such suhslances 

 as charcoal, broken bricks, broken free- 

 stone, &c. .&c. The smaller growing spe- 

 cies, as above referred to, are those which 

 can be grown to the best advantage. For 

 our own part, wc sliould select such as the 

 following, and employ as many of them as 

 we could obtain, or the space would allow : 

 B. sempt'rJlore7>s, rmiformis, tvherosa, ul mi- 

 folia, dregci, hiidrocofylijolia, coccima, ra- 

 mintacea, parvifolia, geraniifoiia, argyro- 

 stigjna, and several others might be named. 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF BEGONIAS. 



Begonia acida, Acid Elephanfs-ear. — A stout 

 fleshy-stemmed stove plant, {^rowin^ tliree feet 

 high, witli large thick fleshy peltate leaves, which 

 as well as the stems are covered with a hoary 

 woolly substance : the flowers are of a clear white 

 colour, borne in large clusters. Native of Brazil. 

 Also called B. peltifolia, B. peltata, and B. jiauci- 

 flora. 



Begonia acerifolia, Maple-leaved Elephant's- 

 ear. — A fleshy-stemmed stove species, with pale- 

 coloured flowers, introduced from Brazil. 



Begonia acuminata. Pointed-leaved Elephanfs- 

 ear. — A slender-stemmed stove plant, growing 

 from three to four feet, with unequal acuminate 

 cordate hairy leaves and pink flowers in small 

 clusters from the axils. It blooms all the year. 

 Native of Jamaica. 



Begonia acutifolia, Acute-leaved Elephant's- 

 ear. — A fleshy-stemmed stove plant; the leaves 

 are obliquely cordate, and narrow at the point; it 

 bears panicles of white flowers in August. Native 

 of mountains in Jamaica. 



Begonia alba-coccinea, Scarlet and white Ele- 

 phanlts ear. — A very handsome herbaceous stove 

 species, with short, somewhat creeping stems; 

 large oblique peltate, or shield-shaped, almost kid- 

 ney-shaped leaves, and loose spreading panicles of 

 flowers, which are bright red externally, and 

 white within. It is from the East Indies, and 

 blooms throughout the spring and summer months. 



Begonia crgyrosh'g?/ja,Silver spotted Elephanfs- 

 ear. — An erect, branching, shrubby slove plant, 

 handsome even when out of flower, for its leaves 

 arc distinctly spotted with white; they are semi- 

 cort'.ate and oblique, red beneath ; the flowers are 

 white, in small drooping panicles. It blooms du- 

 ring the spring and summer months. Native of 

 Brazil. Also called B. maculata, and B. punctata. 



hcgonia aptero, Wingless Elephanfs-ear. — A 

 branching-stemmed stove plant, with large oblique 

 ovate leaves, and producing graceful clusters of 

 white flowers during summer and autumn. 



Begonia barkeri, Barker's Elephant" s ear. — An 

 herbaceous green-house species. It has very large 

 roundish leaves, and white flowers, produced in a 

 huge mass on a foot-stalk four feet high, chiefly in 

 the autumn months. Native of iNIexico. 



Begonia htilhifera, IJulb-bearingElepnanfi-ear. 

 A small tuberous herbaceous Ktovc species, with 

 pink blossoms, |)roduped in September, October 

 and November. It is from Peru. 



Begonia castanetrfolia, Chestnut-leaved Ele- 

 phanfs-ear. — A slcniier-stommctl stove species 

 with ovate leaves, and blush-coloured flowers, 

 produced from February to April. Native of Bra- 

 zil. 



Begonia coccinca, Scarlet Begonia. — A very 

 handsome, somewhat fleshy-stemmed stove plant, 

 of compact branching habit, with unequal oval 

 acuminate ilark green leaves, red beneath; the 

 flowers are numerous, and remain a long time on 

 the plant; they are of a brilliant scarlet or crim- 

 son, in small spreading axillary panicles. Flow- 

 ers through the summer months. Native of the 

 Organ mountains of Brazil. Also called B. rubra. 



Begonia crasfiicaulis, Thick-stemmeil Elephanfs- 

 ear. — This has short fleshy stems with deciduous 

 leaves anil white flowers; profusely )>roduced in 

 spring after the stems are leafless. It is from 

 Guatemala. The leaves are large and palmate. 



Begonia dichotoma, Two-forked Elephanfs-ear. 

 An erect shrubby stove plant four to five feet high, 

 with large unequal cordate leaves, and branching 

 panicles of white flowers. It flowers in July and 

 August. Native of the humid woods of Caraccas. 

 Also known as B. longipes, and B. macrophylla. 



Begonia dipetala. Two pctaled Elephanfs-ear. 

 A stove plant with naked fleshy stems, four feet 

 high, and narrowish oblique heart-shaped leaves, 

 which when young, are faintly spotted with white. 

 From the axils of the leaves are produced the pale 

 pink flowers in small urooping clusters. Flowers 

 from April to July. Native of Bombay, and other 

 parts of the East Indies. 



Begonia diptera, Two-winged Elephanfs-ear. 

 A stemless stove perrennial, with unequally cor- 

 date leaves, anil white flowers, pi oduced in June. 

 Native of the Cape of Good Hope. 



Begonia digitata, Fingered Elephant's ear. — A 

 rough erect-stemmed stove species, growing three 

 feet high, with digitate leaves and white flowers, 

 produced during the summer. Native of Brazil. 



Begonia discolor, Two-colored Elephanfs-ear. 

 This is a common species, with large dark green 

 hairy leaves, red beneath, which is found in many 

 parlour windows. It is an annual stemmed plant, 

 bearing large pink flowers on a drooping panicle, 

 from May to September. It is a native of China, 

 and is also known by the names of B. evansiana, 

 and B. bulbifera. It is sometimes commonly called 

 the Beef-steak Plant. At Killanley Glebe, Bollima, 

 some plants of this have been growing in the opes 

 air for several years. 



Begonia disticha. Distichous Elephant's-ear. — 

 A fleshy-stemmed stove species, with acute leaves, 

 and two-forked bunches of whitish flowers. It 

 blooms from June to October. Native of South 

 America. 



Begonia dregei, Drege's Elephant's-ear. — A 

 small fleshy-stemmed erect stove plant; growing 

 from two to three feet high, with small oblique 

 angular leaves; the flowers are blush-white, gene- 

 rally in pairs. It blooms in March. Native of 



