146 



BEGONIA 



BEGONIA 



22. phyllomaniaca, Mart. Fig. 211. St. perennial : Ivs. 

 obliquely cordate, attenuate, 4-6 in. long, slightly lacini- 

 ated and fringed : fls. pale pink. B.M. 5254. Brazil. 

 This species is peculiar in that it produces from the stem, 

 petioles and Ivs. innumerable Ifts. or small growths. It 

 is one of the most interesting of plants, though not of 

 much decorative value. 



23. nitida, Dryander (B. minor, Jacq. B. specibsa, 

 Hort. B. obllqua, L'Her). St. 3-4 ft. high, perennial, 

 fleshy, woody at the base when old : Ivs. obliquely ovate, 

 wavy, 4-6 in. across, glossy dark green : fls. on long, 

 axillary peduncles, pale pink, with a silvery blush ; 

 males \% in. across, with 2 broad and 2 narrow petals ; 

 females smaller, with 5 equal petals. Jamaica. B.M. 4046. 

 A very useful plant in the greenhouse, flowering all 

 winter. Also interesting on account of being the first 

 Begonia introduced into Europe (1777). Var. odorata 

 alba is a very handsome variety of this species, which 



BB. Lvs. red, reddish or red-veined on the under surface. 

 C. Margins entire or serrate. 



28. maculata, Raddi (B. argyrostigma, Fisch.). St. 

 erect, branching, woody when old : Ivs. cordate, lanceo- 

 late, wavy, 4-6 in. long, upper surface sometimes with 

 large white, roundish spots : fls. pale rose or white, males 

 with 2 ovate and 2 narrow petals, females with 5 equal 

 petals. It includes several forms. Braz. B.R. 666. Var. 

 argyrostigma picta, Hort., is a common form, with very 

 large white spots on the Ivs. 



29. coccinea, Hook. (B. rubra, Hort. B. maculata, 

 var. coralllna, Hort. ). Tall, succulent sts. : Ivs. on short 

 petioles, obliquely oblong, angular, with wavy red mar- 

 gins, 46 in. long: fls. deep coral-red; males %in. across, 

 with 4 unequal petals ; females more attractive, owing to 

 the length and rich color of the ovary, which has 3 small 

 subequal wings. Braz. B.M. 3990. The fls. are very 



211. 



Begonia phyllomaniaca. 



Showing the adventitious 



plantlets. No. 22. 



has smaller fls. of the purest 

 white and sweet-scented. Dr. 

 Nachtigal, hybrid (B. nitida, 

 Dry., var. odorata albaxLynche- 

 ana), is similar in general form 

 to the above, but has fls. of a deli- 

 cate rose-pink, especially on the 

 inner surface of petals. 



cc. Margins incised, lobed or 



parted. 



D. Width of Ivs. less than 2 in. 

 24. Dr6gei, Otto & Dietr. (B. 

 Cdffra, Meissn. B. parvifdlia, 

 Grab.. B. renifdrmis, Hort.). 



Rootstock a fleshy, globular tuber ; sts. succulent, an- 

 nual, 1-2 ft. high : Ivs. thin, small, green, deeply ser- 

 rated, reddish on the under side : fls. white, small, 

 profuse. Cape of Good Hope. B.M. 3720. 



25. Weltoni6nsis, hybrid (parents not known). St. 

 reddish, l%-2 ft. high : Ivs. light green, smooth, ovate- 

 acuminate, lobed, dentate, 1K-2 in. across : petiole red, 

 1-1% in. long : fls. pink, profuse, on short peduncles. 

 Int. by Major Clark, of Welton Park. Var. alba, Hort., 

 has white fls. 



DD. Width of Ivs. more than 2 in. 



26. coronata, Hort., hybrid (B. carolinicefoliaxpoly- 

 dntha). St. shrubby, coarse, 2-3 ft. high, covered with 

 numerous withered stipules : Ivs. large, lobed, on long 

 petioles : fls. pale pink, with large, somewhat droop- 

 ing cymes. 



27. Verschaffeltiana, Regel. (B. Verschaffelti, Hort. 

 B. manicatax carolinice fblia). St. a thick rhizome: 

 Ivs. large, ovate, acuminate, lobed : fls. rose-colored, 

 pendent on long peduncles. I.H. 2 : 68. - Tall, coarse and 

 unsightly as an old specimen, but when well grown from 

 year to year from cuttings makes a splendid plant. 



persistent and ex- 

 ceedingly ornamen- 

 tal, especially when 

 planted out. Choice. 

 30. ,Goego6nsis, Brown. FIRE KING. St. 

 a short, thick rootstock : Ivs. peltate, ovate- 

 orbicular, 6-9 in. long, surface blistered 

 or puckered, green, with dark, bronzy 

 blotches, red on the under side : fls. 

 small, rose-pink. Sumatra. A distinct 

 and ornamental-leaved plant. 



31. sanguinea, Raddi. Sts. perennial, 

 woody at the base, red : Ivs. subpeltate, 

 obliquely cordate, thick, fleshy, smooth, shining, bright 

 green above, blood-crimson below: fls. small, white. Rio 

 de Janeiro. B.M. 3520. A handsome evergreen foliaged 

 Begonia. 



32. daedalea, Lem. (B. strigillosa, Dietr. ) . St. a short, 

 thick rootstock: Ivs. large, green, ovate-acuminate, cor- 

 date, margins slightly serrate and beset with long red- 

 dish hairs, surface covered with a peculiar network of 

 russet-brown: peduncles spotted and slightly hairy: fls. 

 white, tinged with pink. Mex. I.H. 8 : 269. -A handsome 

 foliage plant, not very widely known. 



cc. Margins incised, lobed or parted. 

 D. St. creeping ; a short, thick rhizome. 



33. heracleifdlia, Cham. & Schlecht. (B. jatrophce folia, 

 Hort.). St. a short, thick rhizome : Ivs. 6-12 in. across, 

 palmate, lobes toothed, rich green : peduncles 3-4 ft. 

 long: fls. white or rose-tinted. Mex. B.M. 3444. B.R. 1668. 

 Var. nigricans, Hort., has the margins of the Ivs. bor- 

 dered with dark green. B.M. 4983. Var. longipila, Hort., 

 has long, fleshy hairs on the leafstalks and peduncles. 

 Var. punctata, Hort., has green lvs\, reddish near the 

 margin : fls. rose-colored, with deep red spots on the 

 outside. 



34. rubella, Hamilt. St. a short, thick rhizome : Ivs. 

 large, cordate, acuminate, deeply lobed, smooth, spotted 

 with irregularly shaped dark brown marks : fls. pale 

 pink, on long peduncles. Nepal. 



35. speculata, Hort., hybrid? St. a short, thick 

 rhizome: Ivs. broadly ovate, acuminate, cordate, on long, 

 hairy petioles, dull green, rough, speckled with grey, 

 hairy, reddish on the under side, veins very prominent, 

 light green, profusely branched : fls. on long, hairy pe- 

 duncles, pink-white, males and females both with 2 

 petals : capsule green, with small red spots. Origin not 

 known, though quite common in cultivation. A hardy 

 and useful Begonia. 



