BEGONIA FAMILY. 193 



7. ECHINOCYSTIS, WILD BALSAM APPLE, WILE CUCUM- 

 BER. (Name from Greek for hedgehog and bladder.} () 



E. lobita, Torr. & Gray. Low grounds, chiefly N. and W., and cult, 

 for arbors ; tall-climbing, smoothish, with strongly and sharply 5-lobed 

 leaves ; copious and rather pretty white flowers, produced all summer, and 

 oval fruit 2' long, dry and bladdery after opening ; seeds flat. 



8. SICYOS, STAR CUCUMBER. (Ancient Greek name of Cu- 

 cumber.) (D 



S. angulitus, Linn. A weed in damp or shady grounds, commoner 

 S. ; climbing high; clammy-hairy, with roundish, heart-shaped and 5- 

 angled or slightly lobed leaves ; inconspicuous flowers, and little bur-like 

 fruits beset with deciduous, barbed prickles. 



LI. BEGONIACE^E, BEGONIA FAMILY. 



Somewhat succulent, herbaceous or more or less woody- 

 stemmed, mostly perennial house plants, with alternate and 

 unequal-sided leaves, deciduous stipules, and monoecious 

 flowers in cymes or clusters on axillary peduncles, numerous 

 stamens, inferior triangular ovary, becoming a many-seeded 

 pod, represented in choice cultivation by the genus 



1. BEGONIA, ELEPHANT'S EAR, BEEFSTEAK GERANIUM. 

 (Named for M. Begon, Governor of St. Domingo 200 years ago.) 

 Flowers with the calyx and corolla colored alike, sometimes dull but 

 usually handsome, both kinds commonly in the same cyme, and flat in 

 the bud ; the outer pieces answering to sepals, mostly 2, valvate in 

 the bud ; the inner, or true petals, 2, or in the fertile flowers usually 

 3 or 4, or not rarely wanting, in the sterile flowers surrounding a 

 cluster of numerous stamens with short filaments ; in the fertile are 3 

 styles with thick or lobed stigmas. Ovary and pod triangular, often 

 3-winged. These curious plants are remarkable for the beauty of the 

 leaves of many species, as well as for flowers of many colors and 

 patterns. There are very many species and hybrids. Following are 

 some of the commonest : 



I. TUBEROUS BEGONIAS. Low or even stemless plants, arising from a 

 bulb-like tuber, and bearing very large (2'-4' across) showy flowers, 

 generally in summer and autumn ; leaves not showy. A new class of 

 popular flowers, developed chiefly from the following, which are natives 

 of Peru and Bolivia. 



* Stemless j scapes 4'-12' high. 



B. Davlsii, Veitch. Leaves on very short stalks, ovate-cordate, some- 

 what hairy, glossy green, the under surface, like the scapes and flowers, 

 bright red ; flowers 2' across, on 3-6-flowered scapes, 4'-6' high, and 

 standing above the leaves ; petals 4. 



B. rosasflbra, Hook. Leaves orbicular or kidney-shaped, lobed and 

 toothed ; flowers 2' across, rose-red, on hairy, about 3-flowered, stout 

 scapes ; petals 5. 



GRAY'S F. F. & G. EOT. 13 



