574 lxv. begoniaceje (hooker). [Begonia. 



pubescence, as are the petioles, pedicels, and nerves beneath. Leaves 

 petioled, 1-2 ft. long and broad, obliquely suborbicular, deeply cor- 

 date, abruptly acuminate, obscurely toothed, glabrous or puberulous 

 beneath ; petioles 3-5 in. to a span long, very stout. Stipules very 

 large, \ in. long and broad, concave, oblong, obtuse, deciduous. Pe- 

 duncles unisexual, axillary, shorter than the leaves, stout, much diva- 

 ricatingly branched, many-flowered ; pedicels 1-1 J in. ; bracts ovate- 

 oblong. Male fl. : Sepals 2, elliptical-orbicular, concave, white, 1 in. 

 long. Petals 0. Anthers many, unilateral, linear, obtuse ; filaments 

 very short, free. Female A. : Sepals of the male. Styles 5-6, free ; 

 stigmas forked, arms linear ; papillose . band continuous, twisted. 

 Ovary 5-6-celled ; placentas on the septa, branched. Berries in 

 open dichotomously branched cymes 12-18 in. diameter, subglobose, 

 obscurely 4-angled, J in. diameter, pubescent. 

 Upper Guinea. St. Thomas Island, alt. 4000 ft., on trunks of trees, Mann! 



10. B. ampla, Hook. f. Monoecious. Stem 1-2 ft., very stout, 

 woody, together with the petioles and nerves beneath sparsely furfu- 

 raceous, young leaves densely clothed with rusty stellate down. Leaves 

 long-petioled, 8-10 in. diameter, obliquely suborbicular or very broadly 

 obliquely ovate, deeply cordate, abruptly contracted into a slender 

 point, obscurely toothed at the tip of the once or twice forked nerves, 

 palmately G-nerved, upper surface with a few scattered minute stellate 

 membranous scales that are more numerous below ; petiole stout, 

 5-8 in.; stipules large, green, convolute, 1J in. deciduous. Peduncle 

 stout, 1-2 in., terminated by 2 large convolute orbicular bracts together 

 forming a subcampanulate cup f in. long and broad, enclosing nume- 

 rous shortly pedicelled flowers. Male fl. : Sepals 2, rose-coloured, 

 orbicular-obovate, 1 in. long. Anthers small, subsessile, linear, obtuse. 

 Female fl. : Sepals of the male. Styles 3-4, short, free ; stigmas 

 foiked, branches rather long, papillose band broad, continuous, twisted. 

 Ovary 3-4-angled 1 Berry enclosed in the bracts, subglobose, \ in. 

 diameter ; placentas much branched. 



Upper Guinea. On trees, Prince's Island, Barter I Fernando Po, alt. 1-2000 ft., 

 Mann 1 



11. B. poculifera, Hoolt.f. Monoecious. All parts sparsely clothed 

 with minute circular epidermal scales or flattened vesicles. Stem robust, 

 climbing 1G ft. high, branched, spongy ; bark smooth, rather shining. 

 Leaves petioled, fleshy, 5-7 in. by 2J-3 in., very obliquely ovate-fal- 

 cate, long-acuminate, quite entire, base rounded or truncate, 3-nerved ; 

 upper surface sublucid, green with red nerves and margin, lower paler, 

 more densely vesicular ; nerves few, thick ; petiole -J-l in., very stout; 

 stipules 1 in., convolute, coriaceous, oblong, green and dilated at the 

 apex. Peduncles in the upper axils short, 1-1 \ in., strict, very stout, 

 terminated by two opposite broadly orbicular rose-coloured bracts, that 

 together form a 2-lobed subcampanulate several-flowered cup f in. 

 lon ( »", and as broad. Male fl. : Apparently protruded one by one from 



