176 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
anthers having been lost in transit, no opportunity of studying the 
pollen of Mr. Burnett’s plant was afforded. . 
BEGONIAS (TUBEROUS VARIETIES) x B. COCCINEA. 
The so-called Tuberous Begonias, as is well known, have a rather 
complex pedigree. In spite of this, they are wonderfully fertile, large 
capsules of good seed being very readily obtained when certain strains 
are desired. It did not, however, seem at all likely that the pollen of a 
species so essentially different from the Tuberous Begonias as B. coccinea 
is would serve to fertilise their flowers, and yet it has proved potent to a 
very marked degree. Experiments resulted in fine capsules being formed, 
and the seed sown produced very numerous seedlings of most vigorous 
character. The very first leaves of the seedlings displayed a feature of 
much interest, the upper surface being dotted with silvery spots. As 
growth proceeded, there was no disappearance of this character, all the 
leaves of all the specimens during the vegetative period of the first 
season being more or less distinctly spotted. There was very consider- 
able diversity in respect of the number and size of the spots, these being 
in some cases of fair size and relatively few in number, in others 
minute and in great numbers. The under surface was commonly red, 
often a fine deep red, and always quite destitute of spots. The shape of 
the leaves betokened the influence of both parents. 
Singularly striking variation was exhibited in the mode of growth of 
the stems and branches, affording a rather bewildering field of observa- 
tion. Examples, for instance, occurred having a single stem which grew 
straight up to the length of 12 to 14 in., and developed a spherical swelling 
at its base; others had single but branching stems; others again had 
one or more shorter or longer, branched or unbranched, stems springing 
from a semi-tuberous base (fig. 89) and so forth. 
At the resting period further study disclosed very many grades 
between the ideal ‘‘tuberous’’ and “non-tuberous ”’ conditions, neither 
extreme, however, being represented. It was of unusual interest to note 
the results of the ripening process, some or many of the joints, or even 
entire branches, falling off naturally, and leaving the plants ultimately 
with a broken and abbreviated appearance. (Fig. 90.) 
In spring the bursting of the more vigorous buds here and there on 
the branches, stems, or swollen bases served further to emphasise the 
peculiar conditions which the ebbing of the vitality, so to speak, had 
- occasioned in autumn. (Tig. 91.) 
The somewhat nondescript perennating structures were rather difficult 
to winter successfully, and it is probable that a certain amount of drying- 
off given to these may have proved severe, for the plants thus treated 
have not grown so freely as might have been expected, nor have any of 
them flowered yet. 
A new series with similar parentage, sown this season, is showing a 
striking difference from the above, inasmuch as although the young 
leaves were similarly spotted, the spots have tended to disappear in the 
older leaves. Up to the present the resemblance to the pollen parent, 
