572 lxv. begoniace^:. (hooker.) [Begonia. 



brown, shining and woody. Leaves scattered, very shortly petioled, 

 3-3J by J-§ in., narrow, elliptic-lanceolate, quite entire, slightly ob- 

 lique, acuminate, base acute, membranous (fleshy when fresh ?) nerves 

 and costa very slender, surfaces quite similar ; petiole \ in. ; stipules 

 subulate j lanceolate, minutely stellately-pubescent when young-. Pe- 

 duncles axillary, capillary, \ in. long, dichotomously forked and 2—3- 

 flowered or simple ; bracts at the forks minute, oblong, membranous', 

 obtuse ; pedicels short, capillary. Male fl. : Minute. Sepals 2, oblong, 

 obtuse, i in. long. Petals 2, narrow-linear. Anthers 8, linear-subu- 

 late, acute, as long as the sepals ; filaments connate into a short column. 

 Female fl. : Solitary ? shortly peduncled. Sepals and petals as in the 

 male, but larger. Styles not seen. Ovary very slender, \ in. Imma- 

 ture capsule nearly 1 in. long, narrow, fusiform, attenuated at both 

 ends, quite glabrous, very membranous. 



Upper Guinea. Old Calabar, TJwmson ! 



A very curious species, closely resembling in the dried state Polygonum aviculare. 



5. B. scapigera, Hook. f. Monoecious. Stemless, almost quite 

 glabrous. Rootstock woody, creeping'. Leaves all radical, 4-8 by 2-4 

 in., very long (5—10 in.) -petioled, peltate, obliquely ovate, caudate- 

 acuminate, rounded at the base, obscurely sinuate-toothed or quite 

 entire, ciliate towards the tips, nerves about 10, radiating from the top 

 of the petiole, slender ; petioles stout, rarely with a few long hairs ; 

 stipules small, ovate, membranous, ciliate. Scape solitary, erect, stout, 

 10-14 in., slightly hairy above, usually forked, 2-3-bracteate at the 

 forks, monoecious; bracts and bracteoies small, orbicular or oblong, 

 ciliate-toothed. Flowers erect, solitary or several together, terminating 

 the scape or its branches, subumbellate, all male or female and male 

 mixed. Male fl. : 1J in. diameter. Pedicels f-lj in. long. Sepals 2, 

 orbicular. Stamens numerous; filaments connate at the base; an- 

 thers small, oblong, obtuse, equalling the free portion of the filament. 

 Female fl. : Similar, but smaller, sessile or very shortly pedicelled. 

 Ovary 1J-2 in. long, very slender; styles 2; stigmas forked, arms 

 short, papillose baiid continuous, twisted. Capsule very slender, 1 \ in. 

 long, glabrous. 



Upper Guinea. Cameroons mountains, alt. 4000 ft., Mann I Fl. Dec. 



6. B. scutifolia, Hook.f. Monoecious. ' Stemless. Rootstock creep- 

 ing. Leaves all radical, subpeltate, very long-petioled, 1J-2J in. by 

 lj-2in., obliquely ovate or rotundate, acuminate, gibbous, depressed at 

 the petiole, margin ciliate, obscurely sinuate-toothed or quite entire, 

 glabrous above and below; nerves 5-7, radiating from the top of the 

 petiole, very fine, hairy below ; petiole peltately attached just within 

 the margin, hirsute with curled hairs, 1 J-4 in. ; stipules ovate, obtuse, 

 membranous, long-ciliate. Scapes very slender, shorter than the pe- 

 tiole, hairy, usually 2 collateral, one with 1 female-fl., the other with 2 

 male pedicelled, and one female sessile 11. at the top ; bracts and brac- 

 teoies small ; ovate, membranous, brown, long-ciliate' with curled hairs. 



