254 BEGONIACEAE. 



1. BEGONIA L. 



A number of kinds of Begonias are grown in gardens and in greenhouses. 



Begonia fuchsioides Hook., Fuchsia-like Begonia, of Northern South 

 America, is glabrous, or nearly so, abouit 2° high, with small green elliptic- 

 ovate, finely serrate leaves I'-li' long, and scarlet flowers in drooping clusters. 



Begonia heracleifolia Cham. & Schl., Cow-parsnip Begonia, Mexican, has 

 palmately-lobed, long-petioled leaves 12' broad or less, the stout petioles long- 

 hairy, the leaf-lobes variously toothed, the long, upright peduncles bearing 

 numerous, slender-pedicelled, white or pinkish flowers. 



Begonia goegoensis BroAATi, Fire-king Begonia, Sumatran, is glabrous, 

 with long-petioled, broadly ovate, short-acuminate, entire peltate radiate- 

 veined, usually blotched and rugose leaves 4'-7' long, and long-peduncled clus- 

 ters of pinkish flowers. 



Begonia ulmifolia Willd., Elm-leaved Begonia, of Trinidad and South 

 America, recorded by Lefroy, is a leafy species, 2°-5° high, pubescent with 

 brownish hairs, the obliquely elliptic, doubly serrate, pinnately-veined leaves 3'— 

 8' long, the white or pinkish flowers in much-branched clusters. 



Begonia hydrocotylifolia Otto, Marsh-Pennywort Begonia, Mexican, also 

 recorded by Lefroy, is pubescent all over, with nearly orbicular, cordate, short- 

 petioled leaves 2' broad or less, the peduncles about 1° high, bearing rose-red 

 flowers. 



Begonia minor Jacq., Jamaica Begonia, of Jamaica, a glabrous branched 

 species 2°-4° high, with very obliquely ovate, subcordate, acuminate nearly 

 entire leaves 2'^' long, and numerous white flowers in large cymes, is occa- 

 sionally grown. 



Begonia Rex Putz, Rex Begonia, of Assam, has short fleshy rootstocks, 

 differing in this feature from all the preceding species, which have fibrous 

 roots; its long-petioled, obliquely ovate, cordate pubescent leaves are basal, 

 green with a silvery-grey zone, and undulate-margined; its showy rose-colored 

 flowers are 2' broad or less. 



Order 25. OPUNTIALES. 



Fleshy plants, with continuous or jointed stems, leafless, or with small 

 leaves {PeresJcia has normal leaves), generally abundantly spiny, the spines 

 developed from cushions of wool or minute bristles (areolae). Flowers 

 mostly solitary, sessile, perfect, regular, showy. Calyx-tube adnate to the 

 ovary, its limb many-lobed. Petals numerous, imbricated in several rows, 

 mostly distinct. Stamens numerous, inserted on the throat of the calyx. 

 Filaments filiform; anthers small. Ovary 1-celled; ovules numerous, anat- 

 ropous, borne on several parietal placentae. Style terminal, elongated; 

 stigmas numerous. Fruit a berry, mostly fleshy, sometimes nearly dry. 

 Seeds smooth, or tubercled, the testa usually crustaceous or bony; endo- 

 sperm little, or copious. Only one family. 



Family 1. CACTACEAE Lindl. 



Cactus Family. 



Characters of the order. About 100 genera and at least 1000 species, 

 nearly all natives of America. 



