136 I'ACIFJC STATES FLORAL COXURESS. 



clusters of flowers. A number of varieties of B. semperflorens hav"? 

 also been introduced by this firm, viz., Albatross, Elegantissima, Maste- 

 donte, Goliath, and Obelisquc, as well as several varieties of the Rex type, 

 which were crosses between B. diadema, and varioiis varieties of Rex, 

 viz., Mrs. A. G. Sheperd, Perl Humfeld, Bertha McGregor, Elsie Coles, 

 Mrs. E. Banner^ and Annie Dorner. B. Gilsoni is of American origin, 

 and is interesting on account of its being the only double-flowered, 

 fibrous-rooted begonia. Whether it is a species or hybrid is not known. 

 It is said to have been named in compliment to Gilson, a colored gar- 

 dener to Mrs. Livingston, of New York, more than ten years ago. 



There is a Mr. John Coulson, of Worcester, Mass., gardener to the 

 Hon. Stephen Salisbury, who knows begonias better than any other 

 man the writer is acquainted with. He has undoubtedly produced 

 many new hybrids, and has in his possession many of the old species 

 that are seldom seen now, but he has not, to my knowledge, given any 

 of his information to the press. 



The begonias in cultivation may be roughly divided into four sec- 

 tions or groups, as follows: 



1. Fibrous-rooted or winter-flowering. 



2. Semi-tuberous, or socotrana. 



3. Tuberous, or summer-flowering. 



4. Rex, or ornamental-leaved. 



The fibrous-rooted section may be divided into two large divisions, 

 according to their leaves. 



(a) Leaves hairy, velvety, or downy on the upper surface. 



(b) Leaves smooth or only a few scattered hairs on the upper sur- 

 face or on the margins. 



FIBROUS-ROOTED SECT! OX. 



To the first division belong such varieties as Scharffiana, Duchartrei, 

 ftaageana, echinosepala, Credneri, Schmidtiana, Margaritae, metallica, 

 hydrocotylifolm. imperial^, peltata, ricinifolia, platanifolia, digitata, 

 subpeltata nigricam, Pres. de Boureilles, ulmifolia; and to the second 

 division, incarnata. foliosa. albo-picta, scandens, manicata. glaucophylla. 

 albo-coc-cinea, semperflorens, with its many varieties, phyllomaniaca, 

 nitida, and its hybrids, Dregei, W eltoniensis, coronata. Verscliaffeltiana, 

 maculata, including var. argyrostigma picta, coccinea, goegonsis, san- 

 gmnea, daedalea, heraclei folia, and varieties rubella, speculata, olbia. 

 Teuscheri, argenteo-guttata, abundance, Ameliae, angularis, Ascotiensis, 

 Bertha de Chateaurocher, Bijou de Gand, Bismarcki, carolineafolia, 

 Carrieri, Corbeille de Feu, diadema, Erfordii, Feastii, Sauli, Gilsoni, 

 hybrida-multiflora, Ingrami, Knowlsleyana. Kunthiana, Lubbersi, Lu- 

 cianae, Lyncheana, Mad. de Lesseps, nelumbifolia, Paul Bruant, Presi- 



