412 



THE GAKDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



such as acuminata, maculosa, purpurea ; also red-purple 

 forms named Arthur Mallet, M. Hardy, The Queen, &c. 

 This species has been crossed with B. Rex. Mexico. 



MVnrwtmBSk 



-Begonia Hex. 



B. Lynchiana. — Not unlike B. nitida; stem 3 feet; 

 leaves bright-green, ovate, 6 inches long ; flowers large, 

 bright-red, in large panicles 6 inches across. It has been 

 crossed with B. tempt rflorens. Colombia. 



B. maculata. — Stem 3 feet ; leaves tj inches long, green 

 above and spotted with glistening white, crimson beneath; 

 flowers in crowded clusters, white. Brazil. 



/!. manicata. — Stem thick, creeping; leaves large, with 

 long stalks clothed with red scale-like hairs; flower-stalks 

 1 foot long, bearing a large loose panicle of pink flowers; 

 var. anno- maculata has leaves blotched with yellow. 

 Mexico. 



B. metallica. — Stern 4 to ti feet, freely branched; leaves 

 3 to b* inches long, hairy, green, with a metallic shade; 

 flowers blush-white. Mexico. 



B.natalensis. — Root-stock tuberous; stems annual, 1 foot 

 high ; leaves small, green or mottled ; flowers numerous, 

 white, on slender erect peduncles. South Africa. 



B. >i it i<l a. — A useful old garden plant 2 to 3 feet 

 high, with smooth stems and leaves, the latter glossy- 

 green ; flowers large, numerous, on long peduncles, pink. 

 Jamaica. 



B. peltata. — Stem 1 foot or more ; leaves fleshy, ovate, 

 6 inches or more long, clothed with a silvery tomentum ; 

 flowers small, white, on long erect peduncles. Mexico. 



B. Bex (fig. 517). — Stem tuberous, fleshy; leaves with 

 long stalks, blade 1 foot across, dark metallic -green with 

 a zone of silvery-gray. There are many varieties, all of 

 the easiest culture and most useful in indoor gardening, 

 either for stove or greenhouse. Himalaya. 



B. sanguined. — Stem 3 feet, branched; leaves dark 

 glossy- green above, crimson beneath; flowers small, 

 white, on long branched peduncles. Brazil. 



B. semperHorens. — A variable plant, probably an annual 

 when wild. Stems tufted 6 to 18 inches high; leaves 

 ovate, glossy-green tinged with red; flowers numerous, 

 white or rose-coloured. It has been crossed with several 

 species. There are numerous varieties, which are dealt 

 with in the chapter on bedding plants. Brazil. 



B. socotrana. — Root-stock formed of closely-packed 

 fleshy buds ; leaves peltate, orbicular, green, 6 to 9 

 inches across ; flowers on slender erect stalks, bright-rose, 

 very persistent. This has proved a most useful breeder 

 since its introduction in 1880. There are numerous 

 hybrids between it and other species, all of them good 

 garden plants, which are dealt with elsewhere. Socotra. 



B. Sutherlanelii. — Like natalensis, but the stems and 

 leaves are tinged with red, and the flowers are coloured 

 salmon-red. South Africa 



The best of the hybrids are the following: — 

 Ascotensis, Credneri, Gloire de Lorraine, Gloire 

 de Sceaux, Ingramii, John Heal, Lemoinei, 

 Paul Bruant, President Carnot, Triomphe de 

 Lemoine, Triomphe de Nancy, Winter Gem. 

 By far the handsomest of all evergreen Be- 

 gonias is that named President Carnot (fig. 

 518), a hybrid between B. coccinea and B. 

 olbia. It was raised by M. Crozy, of Lyons, in 

 1890. .The stems grow to a length of 3 feet, or 

 even thrice that if planted out. It has large 

 leaves, and produces all the year round enor- 

 mous clusters of large pendent coral-red flowers, 

 most of them females, which hang on and keep 

 fresh for many weeks. As a pillar plant in a 

 warm house, or trained against the roof-glass in 

 a low house, it is most effective. 



Equally valuable is the small, herbaceous, 



Fig. 518.— Begonia President Carnot. 



annual-stemmed hybrid called Gloire de Lor- 

 raine (fig. 519), raised by M. Lemoine from B. 

 Dreggei and B. socotrana. It has short, slender, 



