BEGONIACEAE 819 



variegated with red, the inner stouter, reddish brown with paler tips, 3-5 cm. long, 

 about half of them deflexed: flowers yellow or orange, varying to purple: fruit 

 obovoid, 3-5 cm. long, spiny: seeds 5-6 mm. broad, irregular in shape. 



In dry soil and on plains and prairies, British Columbia to Nebraska, Oklahoma, New 

 Mexico and Utah. 



17. Opuntia leptocaulis P. DC. Stems with a hard close-grained wood, and 

 a gray scaly bark, branching, often 12-15 dm. tall, the branches slender, terete, or 

 angled in age; the outer joints loosely attached to one another, 2-3 cm. long, with 

 terete, subulate leaves: spines mostly solitary, about 8 mm. long, in a close sheath: 

 flowers sulphur-yellow, 14-20 mm. broad: fruit scarlet, 10-18 mm. long, not juicy, 

 more often proliferous: seeds 2-5, white, flattened. 



In river valleys, Texas and adjacent Mexico. 



Order 22a. BEGONIALES. 



Succulent herbs, shrubby plants or vines. Leaves alternate: blades com- 

 monly inequilateral, toothed or lobed. Flowers monoecious, usually somewhat 

 irregular, cymose : staminate flowers with 2 or more sepals, 5 minute petals and 

 many stamens, whose anthers open by pores or valves. Pistillate flowers with a 

 calyx, a corolla and a gynoecium of 2-5 united carpels. Ovary inferior, 2-sev- 

 eral-celled or rarely 1-celled, the placentae entire or lobed. Stigmas curved, 

 twisted or coiled. Ovules numerous. Fruit capsular, winged. 



FAMILY 1. BEGONIACEAE B. Br. BEGONIA FAMILY. 

 Characters of the order. 



1. BEGONIA L. 



Succulent plants sometimes woody below. Leaf -blades oblique. Staminate flowers 

 with 2 unequal pairs of petals. Pistillate flowers with 5 somewhat unequal petals. 

 Gynoecium with a short style, spiral stigmas and 2 -lobed placentae. Capsule un- 

 equally 3-winged. ELEPHANT'S EAR. 



1. Begonia semperflorens Link & Otto. Plants 3-10 dm. tall: leaf -blades 4-7 

 cm. broad, the teeth apiculate: bracts ciliate-fimbriate : corolla white; larger petals 

 of the staminate flowers 6-14 mm. long, the smaller ones spatulate: capsules drooping. 



In and about swamps, peninsular Florida. Naturalized from South America. 



Order 23. PROTEALES. 



Perennial herbs, or shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite: 

 blades simple or compound. Flowers perfect, or occasionally polygamous or 

 dioecious. Perianth of 4 valvate partially united sepals. Androecium of 4 

 stamens, one borne on each sepal. Gynoecium a single carpel. Ovary superior, 

 often oblique. Fruit indehiscent, or often follicular or capsular. 



FAMILY 1. PROTEACEAE J. St. Hil. PEOTEA FAMILY. 

 Characters of the order. 



1. GREVILLEA R. Br. 



Shrubs or trees. Leaf -blades often pinnately parted. Flowers borne in racemes, 

 sometimes irregular. Calyx with a cleft tube, curved above and oblique at the limb. 

 Ovary stipitate. Style often protruding from the cleft of the calyx. Fruit follicular, 

 or a 2-valved capsule. Seeds mostly winged. 



