136 MR. DONALDS NOTES UPON BEGONIAS. 



leaves become old. Flowers pink, on loose panicles, rising six 

 or eight inches above the leaves. A very pretty species, flower- 

 ing in spring, and remaining for a length of time in bloom. 



e. Leaves oblique, peltate. 



10. S. albo-cocci?iea. Stems short, inclining to creep. Leaves 

 peltate, oblong, of a dark green colour, covered when young 

 with soft brown hairs which soon drop off, leaving them quite 

 smooth on both sides ; but still a soft substance clings to their 

 footstalks, and gives them a rust-like appearance. Flowers in 

 loose panicles of from thirty to forty blooms, elevated on foot- 

 stalks about a foot and a lialf in height ; petals pure white, con- 

 trasting well with the sepals, which are bright scarlet, especially 

 on the outside. — East Indies. 



C. Stems erect, seldom branching. 

 a. Leaves digitate, equal at the base. 



\\. B. muricata. Stems rough, from three to four feet in height, 

 and of a dull green colour. Leaves digitate, consisting of from 

 six to eight leaflets, three or four inches in length, hairy on both 

 sides. Flowers white, rather small, but numerous, forming a 

 close panicle, elevated on a footstalk about eight inches in height, 

 which, like the stem, is also covered with a rough hairy sub- 

 stance. It blooms in autumn, and probably at other seasons. 

 Syn. B. digitata. — Brazil. 



12. B. digitata in some respects resembles the preceding. Stems 

 erect, about three feet in height, of a dull crimson colour when 

 young, and thinly covered with soft white hairs. Leaves digi- 

 tate, consisting of from four to eight leaflets, or sometimes en- 

 tire, assuming the usual oblique form, smooth, and dark green 

 above, bright crimson beneath, and scattered over with a few 

 white hairs. Flowers white, scarcely different from those of 

 B. muricata. It blooms in summer. — Brazil. 



b. Leaves obHque, partially lobed. 



1 3. B. dichotoma. Stems strong, from four to five feet in height, 

 inclining to branch, rough and channelled. Leaves large, some- 

 times measuring ten inches across, unequally toothed, of a dark 

 green colour, shining above, and smooth on both sides. Flowers 

 white, in large clusters, suspended by long foot-stalks. Syn. 

 B. longipes^ B. macrophylla. — Caraccas. 



14. B. longipes. tStems about five feet in height, very stout, be- 

 coming brown when old, and singularly dotted over with bright 

 green spots. Leaves large, sometimes a foot in breadth, serrated, 

 unequally lobed, of a dull green colour, and covered with short 

 down-like hairs, especially on the under sides. Flowers white. 



