The Cultivation of Begonias. 



305 



as botanical specimens, few of them being in reality useful 

 to amateurs, or worthy of assiduous cultivation, which is in 

 this instance precisely the case. As there is a large number 

 of them which are diffused, to a greater or less extent^ 

 throughout gardens — and among them are many well worthy 

 of attention, and would be an acquisition to first rate collec- 

 tions — I have in the subsequent list enumerated all the spe- 

 cies that are at present growing at Kew, (with the exception 

 of a few unnamed) and which contains nearly all that are 

 known in cultivation. The remaining ones are but of little 

 importance to amateurs, except B. prestoniensis, which is hy- 

 brid, and richly deserves a place in every collection where 

 Begonias are cultivated at all. In framing the amiexed list, 

 the letter d signifies decumbent, indicating that those species 

 have a decumbent creeping stem ; consequently they are best 

 suited for cultivating on pans or shallow pots, as they chiefly 

 require surface room. Those marked e have erect-growing 

 stems, requiring more or less head room ; and those marked t 

 are tuberous-rooted, and usually die down annually. The 

 height of the plant is giv^en in feet, and the color of the 

 flower — which is a desideratum to those who cultivate, or 

 wish for a selection only : — 



