BEAUMONTIA. 61 



Beaumontia. 



A genus belonging to the order Apooynacese. The majority 

 of the species known are climbing plants ; but the one iatro- 

 duced here forms a large robust shrub, and should be grown 

 in all extensive collections of stove plants. It requires the 

 temperature of an ordinary stove. The soil should be potted 

 in a mixture of two parts rich loam and one part peat, with 

 the addition of a little sand. Beaumontias may be propa- 

 gated from cuttings, the best being those having a slight 

 heel of old wood, and also by seeds when these are ob- 

 tainable. 



B. grandiflora. — This is a grand plant, but one that is 

 seldom seen ; it is robust in habit of growth, the leaves being 

 oblong-lanceolate, some eight inches long by three inches 

 broad, dark green on the upper side, paler below; the flowers 

 are pure white, large, and trumpet-shaped. Native of the 

 East Indies. 



Begonia. 



A very extensive family, and one that contains some 

 beautiful plants, which are useful for the decoration of 

 the hothouse in winter, for cutting for bouquet-making, 

 or the decoration of the dinner table. We shall confine 

 our remarks entirely to the best of the flowering species and 

 varieties, and omit the ornamental-leaved kinds which have 

 so largely contributed towards the decoration of our houses 

 and gardens within the last few years, although many of these 

 are very beautiful when in bloom. Their foliage is, however, 

 their greatest attraction ; and we omit them, not because we 

 consider them unworthy of cultivation, but because this work 

 is devoted to flowering plants only. 



Begonias are very suitable for those who have but a 



