THE BEGONIA FAMILY. 2O3 



is especially the case if we take pollen from the one that is 

 strongest or most vigorous. A better plan is to cross the hybrid 

 with pollen from a different species entirely, as this is founcl 

 to add a fixity of character to the offspring. This fact is easily 

 explained, since, when we unite the combined characteristics 

 (evident and latent) of two species, it follows that that parent 

 species in which the characteristics are most firmly fixed gives 

 way the least in the process of hybridising, and the charac- 

 teristics of the progeny incline most to that parent. Hence 

 this inclination to revert to one of the parents may be overcome 

 either by fertilising the hybrid progeny with pollen from what 

 was in the first case the female or weakest parent, or by crossing 

 with pollen from another species, which in nearly all cases is 

 found to fix the wavering or reversional characters of the second 

 generation from seed. 



Numerous hybrids of the B. Rex section were obtained by 

 cross-fertilising that plant with B. xanthina, B. lazuli, B. 

 splendida, B. Grijfithii, and others, and these were very popular 

 in our gardens about 1856-60, but have been driven out of 

 culture by the more brilliant and useful tuberous-rooted class. 



B. Model belongs to the " tuberous-rooted " group, and is a 

 hybrid of the third generation, the result of in-and-in crossing 

 carried on between B. Boliviensis and B. Pearcei in the first 

 instance, and then with B. Veitchii, and afterwards with B. 

 Sedeni. The result of this interbreeding was the production of 

 B. Stella and B. Model, both certificated varieties, out of the 

 same batch of seedlings. For a coloured figure of B. Model, 

 see 'Florist,' 1875, p. 109, no. Numerous highly-coloured 

 forms, including B. Vesuvius and others, have since been 

 obtained by Messrs Veitch & Sons in this section. 



B. Boliviensis was introduced by Messrs Veitch & Sons from 

 Bolivia, and has erect stems 2-3 feet high, and axillary, long- 

 petalled, cinnabar-scarlet flowers (see 'Bot. Mag.,' t. 5657). B. 

 Veitchii is a hardy species in sheltered positions, having been 

 introduced (also by Messrs Veitch) from near Cuzco, on the 

 Peruvian Andes. It is dwarfer and more compact in habit, 

 bearing peduncles of orange-scarlet, broad-petalled, wax-like 

 flowers (see ' Bot. Mag.,' t. 5663, and 'Florist,' 1868, No. I. p. 

 i). B. Pearcei has rich velvety, deep-green leaves, mottled with 

 lighter green, and bears axillary panicles of pure yellow flowers 

 of good size and substance (see 'Bot. Mag.,' t. 5545). The 

 three plants above named are interesting as being the parents 

 of the comparatively new section of Begonias known as 

 "Tuberous-rooted." B. Sedeni (see 'Florist,' 1869, p. 169) 

 was one of the first hybrids obtained, its parents being B. 



