Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 



57 



reticulated: albumen very scanty or 0. — Distrib. Species 400 (of which 

 398 belong to the genus Begonia), in all tropical moist countries ; not 

 yet met with iu Australia. 



1. Bkgonia, Linn. 

 Characters of the Order. 



Group I. Capsule 3-celled, with 3 nearly equal narrow 

 vertically oblong wings, dehiscing by 2 oblong valves on 

 eacli face between the wings : — 



Small acaulescent herbs, only a few inches in height : 

 leaves rotund-ovate slightly oblique 



Herbs with stems 2 or 3 feet high ; leaves obliquely ovate- 

 oblong or ovate-lanceolate, the base cordate and very 

 unequal -sided : — 



Male flowers '2 to '3 in. across ... 

 Male flowers 1*5 in. across 

 Group II. Capsule 2-celled, triquetrous, with 3 short un- 

 equal wings, dehiscing irregularly by the breaking up of the 

 fragile faces between the wings; anthers obovoid, often 

 emargioate at the apex : — 



Caulescent ; rootstock tuberous : — 



Upper surfaces of leaves with numerous adpressed 

 white stellate hairs ; bracts of inflorescence "05 to '1 in. 

 long, densely adpressed-pubescent ; male flowers '2 to 

 •25 in. in diam. ; capsules about 3 in. broad 

 Upper surfaces of leaves scantily adpressed hairy ; 

 bracts '35 to '5 in. long, glabrous; male flowers 5 in. 

 and capsules '6 in. across 

 Leaves glabrous ... 

 Acaulescent; rhizome creeping: — 



Leaves rather thick (when dry), rotund-reniform, 

 deeply cordate the basal lobes overlapping, the nerves 

 beneath and the petioles nisty-tomentose 

 Leaves very thin (when dry), obliquely ovate-reniform, 

 quite glabrous except for a few sparse hairs on the 

 under surface of the nerves ; petioles glabrous 

 Group III. Capsule 2-celled, triquetrous with 3 wings one 

 of which is much elongated transversely so an greatly to 

 exceed the other two, dehiscing by the rupture of the stout 

 membranous faces between the wings : — 

 Anthers cuneiform-oblong ; leaves peltate 

 Anthers linear-oblong or linear ; leaves not peltate : — 

 Leaves not at all or very little oblique even at the base, 

 not cordate; petioles very long: — 



Leaves with coai'se hairs on both surfaces : — 

 Leaves narrowly lanceolate 

 Leaves ovato-lanccolate 



1. JB. Furhesii. 



2. B. isnptern, 



3. B. isopteroidea. 



4. B. sinuata. 



5. B. a7idamensis. 



6. B, debilis. 



7. B. thaipiiigensis. 



8, B. quttata. 



9. B. HassJcarlii. 



10. B. Scortechinii. 



11. B. Kunstleriana. 



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