644 ixn. BEGONiACBiB. (C. B. Clarke.) [^Begcmia. ' 



pubescent on tie nerves beneath otherwise glabrous, base very unequal deeply auri- 

 culed on one side ; petiole J-f in. ; stipules nanow-lanceolate, glabrous, deciduous. 

 Pedtmcles short, dichotomous, with many rather small white or , pale pink flowers ; 

 bracts ovate, acute, deciduous. 1Vr*r.F, : sepals 2, ovate, subacute, glabrous; petals Oj 

 stamens about 40, shortly monadelphous, anthers obovoid, connective not produced. 

 Fehaxe : perianth-segments 3, 2 outer ovate subacute resembling but smaller than 

 the male sepals, inner small lateral ; ovary (at the time of expanding of the flower) 

 completely 2-celled with 2-fid placentas (exactly as in Plait/centrum) ; styles 2-3 

 (sometimes 4, A. DC.) nearly free, or one free the other two combined, sometimes 

 simply branched upwards, often S-4-fid and more or less contorted. Oapiule } by 

 1 in. including the wing, styles persistent, oblong, concave upon its narrow face 

 (between the two very narrow wings), broad wing extending the whole length of 

 the capsule, its upper margin horizontal convex, narrow face first falling away. 

 Seeds ellipsoid. — ^Xhis is the largest Indian Begonia: the description and remarks of 

 Alph. DC. must have been founded upon very imperfect materials. 



26. B. eplscopalls, C .?. Clarke; stem tall much branched pubescent 

 upwards, peduncles axillary, male sepals 4. Mezierea Griffithiana, A. DC. 

 Prodr. XV. pt. i. p. 407. 



Bhotan ; Gnffith (Kew Distrib. No. 2304, 2573). Khasia Mts., alt. 4000 ft. ; 

 H.f. & T., C. B. Clarke. 



Leaves 6 by 1 in., iiarrow-lanceolate, cordate, toothed, membranous, with scattered 

 pubescence above, very pubescent or almost glabrous on the nerves beneath, base 

 very unequal deeply auricled on one side; petiole ^IJin. ; stipules f in., very 

 persistent, lanceolate, subulate, glabrous. Inflorescence often from the middle and 

 lower axils in short dichotomous pedundes, usually pubescent ; bracts oblong- 

 lanceolate, glabrous, persistent; flowers somewhat numerous, rather small. MatiB : 

 sepals 2, ovate ; petals ; stamens about 40, shortly monadelphous, anthers obovoid, 

 connective not produced. Femai,e: periemth-segments 4, 2 outer ovate, 2 inner 

 narrow-oblong ; styles 3 or 2, nearly free at the base, divided into long curved 

 branches. Capsule as in B. gigantea but the upper margin of the larger wing is con- 

 cave and somewhat descenmng. Seeds short-ellipsoid. — -In Griffith's Bhotan ex- 

 amples, the stems upwards peduncles and leaves on both surfaces are very pubescent, 

 and the petioles are ^-^ in. ; Clarke's examples (from Bishop's Falls,, ShUlong) are 

 very nearly glabrous wil£ the petioles 1^ in. The Khasia examples of H. f. & T. are 

 intermediate. 



B. Female perianth-segments 4-6. — Sect. Platycemtrum, A. DO. 



• Connective produced above the anther-ceUs. 



27. B. xantbina, Hook. Sot. Mag. t. 4683; leaves large ovaf« den- 

 ticulate and angular not ciliate-serrate, petiole hairy, cyme and ovary nearly 

 glabrous, flowers yellow. A. DC. Prodr. xv. pt. i. 347. B. xanthina, var. 

 pictifolia, Bot. Mag. t. 6102. B. xanthina, var. Lazuli, Bat. Mag. t. 5107. 



East Sikkim, alt. 4000-5000 ft. ; J. D. H. Dumsong, Bhotah, alt. 600O ft. ; 

 C. B. Clarke. 



Bhizome thick. Stem (in the wild examples) 0. Leaves 6-8 in., acute, unequally 

 cordate at the base, -pubescent on the nerves beneath, otherwise nearly glabrous; pe- 

 tiole 3-4 in. ; stipules'ovate, acute, glabrous or pubescent. Scape \ ft. with spreading 

 hairs below, nearly glabrous upwards; bracts at its first division | in., oblong-lan- 

 ceolate, glabrous ; fiowers medium large, full yellow (in the wild examples). Male : 

 sepals 2, round ; petals 2, elliptic; stamens about 100, shortly monadelphous; con-' 

 nective produced, triangular. Frmat.b : perianth-segments 5, outer round, inner 

 gradually smaller ; styles 2, shortly combined below, each dividing half-way up into 

 two tortuous branches; ovary (in the wild specimens) glabrous. Capsule with the 

 une4ual wing very much elongated, descending, its upper margin concave. — In some 

 cultivated specimens, the stem is elongated and leafy. 



