Begonias of Borneo. 



By H. N. Eidley. 



Borneo, at least Sarawak, appears to be tolerably rich in 

 Begonias at least as compared with the Malay Peninsula. 

 •Few seem to have been described however. The most abund« 

 ant are the tall woodland species of the Petermannia section 

 with very insignificant flowers. Young forms often have 

 the leaves prettily spotted, but this soon goes off and the 

 plate becomes tall and dull-colored. This section is a diffi- 

 cult one owing to the variability of the species, possibly some 

 of the abnormal forms one meets with are hybrids. The 

 presence or absence of petals in the male flower is hardly a 

 good character though often used in distinguishing species and 

 groups. I have in some of this section seen flowers with none, 

 or one or two on the same plant. The limestone rocks and 

 mouths of the caves produce a number of pretty species of 

 which B. speluncce, with its tufts of round leaves and pretty 

 white flowers is one of the most attractive, while among 

 foliage plants, the beautiful B. promethea, growing with only 

 two or three large leaves flat on the rock faces of Bukit 

 Tendong, near Busan, is perhaps the most worthy of cultiva- 

 tion. 



§ Petermannia. Capsule 3 celled, wings 3 nearly equal nar- 

 row oblong, dehiscing by 2 valyes. 



Stems tall. 

 Panicles very small axillary ... 

 Panicles subterminal lax. 



Leaves ovate nearly entire 



Leaves ovate sinuate small 



Leaves ovate toothed 



Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soe.'.No. 46, 1906 



1. 



B. 



axillaris 



2. 



B. 



propinqua. 



3. 



B. 



saraivakensis. 



4. 



B. 



borneensis, 



