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dreary months of Winter, when they so beautifully 
enliven our houses and dwelling rooms with their varied 
hues and graceful flowers, as well as delight our senses 
with their delicate fragrance. Many of them are well 
suited for growing in baskets, and if the species with 
creeping stems are selected for this purpose they will 
form beautiful objects. A reference to any of the cata- 
iogues so freely distributed through the mails in this 
present age, will give lists and description of all the most 
popular sorts in cultivation. 
BEGONIA REX. 
This beautiful piant is a native of Assam. It is of 
robust though dwarf habit; its leaves are dark olive 
green, a broad band of silvery white traversing it midway 
between the centre and the margin. It is yet a really 
fine variety, notwithstanding the innumerable handsome 
varieties that have been raised from it and its progeny. 
There are hundreds of fine sorts growing extensively all 
through the country to-day known as Begonia Rex that 
are not the particular variety just referred to, but seed- 
jings raised from this sort, and all are known in the plant 
trade of to-day as the Rex Begonia. They all, however, 
partake of the characteristics of the parent plant, and 
are noted for the exquisite variegation of the foliage; and 
although the flowers of this class are not so attractive as 
those of their plain green leaved relatives, yet they are 
sufficiently large and produced in sufficient quantities te 
make them very effective in the greenhouse, not to men- 
tion the great beauty of the leaves. Some people grow 
these plants for Summer decoration only, resting them 
by partially drying off during Winter. This we consider 
a mistake, as they are so very attractive during the dull 
znonths, and require but little attention, although they 
