THE BEGONIA FAMILY. 2OI 



Takes from the female parent ; stems adscendent at the base, but tall and 

 unwieldy from the influence of the male *parent. The colour of the 

 mother plant being dull, the resulting red blossoms were of a dull and 

 unattractive character. 



15. B. insigiiis x B. nitida. A very elegant plant, flowering for 

 months in succession. 



16. B. insignis x B. cinnabarina. A handsome plant worth repro- 

 ducing. One seedling was a full double as to the male blossoms. Raised 

 in 1841. 



17. B. insignis x B. Pearcei. 



1 8. B. insignis x B. nitida x B. Pearcei. Of these crosses, which 

 were much alike in general habit, the last was the best. It is a very 

 beautiful plant. 



19. B. insignis x B. manicata. A large, singular, but rather un- 

 gainly plant. 



20. B. insignis x B. platanifolia. Better than the last, but awkward 

 in habit. 



21. B. insignis x B. fuchsioides. Nothing remarkable. 



22. B. Martiana x B. cinnabarina. Habit of B. Martiana ; bright 

 red flowers : was delicate, and soon lost. 



23. B. Martiana x B. Boliviensis. A tall, rather striking plant, 

 with pale-rosy flesh-coloured flowers. 



24. B. nitida x B. cinnabarina. Veiy like No. 16, but with some- 

 what more robust habit. 



25. B. prismatic a x B. species. A large edition of B. prismatica. The 

 peculiar shape of the capsule was lost in the cross. 



26. B. Pearcei x B. cinnabarina. Differed scarcely from No. 4. 



27. B. Platanifolia x B. manicata. A handsome plant, flowering 

 with the leaves ; whereas in the mother-plant the flowers are produced 

 before them. The " manica" or frill on the leaf-stem is obliterated by the 

 cross. This is a case of the gain of one quality at the expense of another. 



28. B. Richardsii x B. Sutherland 'ii. A pretty plant, but inferior to 

 B. Weltoniensis . 



29. B. semperjlorens x B. fuchsioides. Useful winter plant, with 

 bright flowers, too sparingly produced. 



30. B. fuchsioides x B. cinnabarina. Only one plant raised; was 

 very pretty, but delicate, and soon lost. 



31. B. manicata x B. crassicaulis. An improved manicata. The 

 fringed "manica" is lost in this cross; but the plant flowers iviih the 

 leaves, which in the case of B. crassicaulis are produced after the flowers. 



In the 'Gardeners' Journal,' 1847, P- 615, two hybrids are 

 figured and described by the raiser, Mr P. N. Don, then of the 

 United Nursery, King's Road, Chelsea. Speaking of Begonias, 

 he says : "They are worthy of attention on account of their easy 

 hybridisation ; and many beautiful varieties may be obtained 

 by paying a little attention to the species that are to be crossed. 

 The two following varieties (B. prolifera and B. hybrida) were 

 raised from seed of B. manicata, crossed with B. cocdnea. A fact 

 worthy of notice is, that from one seed-pod the species manicata 

 and the two varieties here represented were all raised in great 

 numbers a proof that the pollen did not effect a change in the 

 whole of the seeds, which is not easily accounted for, as the 



