176 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Begonia continued. 



B. purpnrea (purple). Synonymous with B. aeutifolia. 



B. purpurea (purple). Synonymous with B. nitida. 



B. Putzeysiana (Putzeys 1 ). S. Stem erect, branching, smooth. 

 I. oblong-lanceolate, acute, toothed, glabrous, under side spotted 

 with white, fl. in copious small corymbs, white and rose, small. 

 Capsule small, with rather large obtuse wings. Winter. Vene- 

 zuela, 1871. 



B. radiata (rayed). Synonymous with B. heraeUifolia. 



B. ramentacea (scaly).* S. Stem erect, branching, brown, 

 scaly, as also are the leafstalks and peduncles. I. ovate, rem- 

 form, oblique ; margins slightly angulate, recurved, under side 

 red, scaly; peduncles branching, fl. drooping, pink and white, 

 pretty. Capsule, when ripe, a bnght scarlet ; wings large. Spnng. 

 Brazil, 1839. (P. M. B. 12-73). 



B. renlformis (kidney-formed). 

 (Gardens.) 



B. reniformis (kidney-formed). 

 (Hook.) 



Synonymous with B. 

 Synonymous with B. mttfolia. 



FIG. 233. BEGONIA REX. 



B. Rex (Royal).* Stemless; rhizome fleshy, creeping, subter- 

 raneous. Leafstalk round, red, setose. I. 8m. to 12in. long, 6in. 

 to Sin. broad, ovate, oblique, sides unequal, cordate, villose ; mar- 

 gins toothed, surface bullate, dark olive-green, with a metallic 

 lustre, a broad silvery zone running all round, about lin. from the 

 margin, fl. in erect branching cyme, large, pale rose. Capsule 

 wings, two short, one long and rounded. Assam, 1858. See 

 Fig. 233. (B. M. 5101.) This magnificent species is the principal 

 progenitor of the numerous ornamental-foliaged Begonias, a selec- 

 tion of which are given below. Most of them are well worth 

 growing, but those named have been selected from a large number : 

 MADAME WAGNER,* I. large, profound green, banded by a broad 

 silvery zone, especially fine ; MARSHALLI, I. very large, the mar- 

 gins and very centre dark green, while the greater portion of 

 the surface is covered with a silvery-grey ; REGINA,* I. rich olive- 

 green, banded with a broad zone of bronze-red and silvery-grey, 

 rendering it very attractive ; Roi LEOPOLD,* I. on long stout 

 petioles, very large, deep bronze-red in the centre, with a broad 

 border of a rather lighter shade, very effective; ROLLISONI,* 

 1. large, on long stalks, rich velvety-green, banded with silvery- 

 grey; SPLENDIDA ARGENTEA,* I. large, of a greyish hue, veined 

 with white, and tinged with bronze-red, very beautiful. The fol- 

 lowing varieties are also very good: ADRIEN ROBINE,* BERTHE 

 PROUTIERE, CHARLES HOVEV, DISTINCTION,* JULIA SEROT,* 

 LOUISE CHRETIEN,* MADAME J. MENOREAU,* NAROA, NAVALA,* 

 TALISMAN, W. E. GUMBLETON. 



B. Rlobardslana (Richards').* T. Stem 1ft. high, erect, fleshy, 

 with slender branches. I. palmately lobed, the lobes sinuate or 

 toothed. fl. white, males bipetalous, females with five petals. 

 Cymes axillary near ends of branches, few-flowered. Capsule 

 three-winged, wings equal. Summer. Natal, 1871. (G. C., 1871, 

 p. 1065.) 



B. B. dladema (of gardens).* This is referred to here because of 

 its close resemblance to the above. It is most likely a hybrid 

 between B. Richardsiana and B. dipetala. L palmately lobed, 

 rather large, spotted with white. 4. large, rose-coloured. 

 Summer. 1881. 



B. ricinifolia (Ricinus-leaved).* A garden hybrid between B. 

 heracleifolia and B. pepon\folia. I. large, bronzy green, in shape 



Begonia continued. 



like those of the Castor-oil plant, f. numerous, on an erect scape. 



Winter. 1847. 



B. Roezlli (Roezl's). Synonymous with B. Lynchiana. 



B. rosaoea (rosy). Stem succulent, short. I. ovate obtuse, 

 slightly pubescent, toothed ; petioles long, pilose. JL in few- 

 flowered cymes, medium-sized, rose-coloured. New Grenada, 

 1860. (Garden, pi. 152.) 



B. rosaaflora (Rose-flowered).* T. Stemless. Petioles, scapes, 

 bracts, and stipules bright red. I. green, 2in. to 4in. wide, on 

 stout hairy petioles, 2in. to 6in. long, orbicular-reniform, concave ; 

 margins lobed, red, toothed. Scapes stout, villous, three-flowered. 

 fl. 2m. across, bright rose-red. Summer. Peru, 1867. One of the 

 parents of the popular race of tuberous-rooted large-flowered 

 Begonias. (B. M. 5680.) 



B. mbricaulls (red-stalked).* Stemless. Leafstalks, peduncles, 

 pedicels, and ovaries, a deep red colour. I. obliquely ovate, 4in. to 

 6in. long, slightly hairy, bright green, wrinkled ; margins toothed 

 and ciliated. Scape 1ft. high, erect, stout, branching at the top, 

 forming a head of about a dozen flowers, which are large, 



, - . 



wing, the others almost suppressed. Summer. Peru, 1834. 



white inside, rose-tinted outside. Capsule with one large 



ing, the othe 

 (B. M. 4131.) 



B. rnbro-venia (red-veined).* Rootstock thick. Stems 

 12in. to 18in. high, red, pubescent. I. 4in. to 6in. long, 

 elliptic or lanceolate acuminate, entire or slightly angular, 

 toothed, green spotted with white above, purplish-brown 

 below. Scapes axillary, red. fl. in cymose head ; outer 

 segments white with rose-red veins, inner segments pure 

 white. Summer. Sikkim, Ac., 1853. (B. M. 4689.) 



B. sangninea (blood-red). S. Stems woody when old, tall, 

 stout, red, with scattered paler spots. I. 4in. to 6in. long, 

 unequally cordate, acuminate, thick and somewhat fleshy 

 in texture, minutely crenate, green above, deep red below ; 

 peduncles axillary, long, erect, red. fl. in a branching cyme, 

 rather small, white. Capsule wings sub-equal. Spring. 

 lirazil, 1836. (B. M. 3520.) 



B. scabrida (rough). Stem stout, erect, somewhat succu- 

 lent, covered with small tubercles. I. 6in. long, oblique, 

 ovate-acute, cordate, toothed, slightly hairy, JL white, 

 small ; cyme many-flowered. Capsule wings equal, large. 

 Venezuela, 1857. 



B. scandens (climbing).* Stem flexuose, fleshy, creeping 

 or climbing, smooth. I. 4in. long, ovate acuminate, sub- 

 cordate ; margins irregularly toothed, pale shining green. 

 JL in axillary branching cymes, white, small. 



America, 1874'. Useful either as a basket plant or for 

 training against moist walls. SYNS. B. elliptiea, B. lueida, 

 B. Moritziana. (R. G. 758.) 



B. sceptram (princely). S. I. obliquely ovate in outline, 

 deeply lobed on one side ; lobes oblong ; obtuse, veins sunk, 

 and the raised spaces between marked with large silvery 

 blotches, and numerous smaller dots of silver grey. Brazil, 

 1883. 



B. Schmidtlana (Schmidt's).* Stems 1ft high, branching, her- 

 baceous. I. obliquely cordate, ovate-acute, small, dark metallic 

 green above, tinged with red below, fl. in loose drooping axillary 

 panicles, white, small, numerous. Winter. Brazil, 1879. (R. G. 



(salver-like). Synonymous with B. eonehasfoUa. 



FIG. 234. BEGONIA SEMPERFLORENS FRAU MARIA BRANDT, 

 showing Habit and Flower. 



B. Sedeni (Seden's). T. A garden hybrid between B. bolivientis 

 and B. Veitehii. Summer. 1869. A handsome plant, but much 

 inferior to many of the more recent hybrids. (R. H. 1872, 90.) 



B. semperflorens (always -flowering).* Stem fleshy, erect, 

 smooth, reddish - green. 1. ovate - rotundate, hardly cordate; 



