BEGONIAS OF BORNEO. 259 



two wings. Wings semilunar narrowed to the tip 

 broader at base. Ovary 3 celled placentas bifid. 



Sarawak, Pengkulu Ampat (Haviland 279). 



Begonia pwmethea, n. sp. 



Stem very short prostrate one inch long. Leaves 2, 

 rarely 3 ovate rounded at the tip unequal at the base 

 petiole an inch long thick hairy red, lamina glabrous 

 except a few hairs on the edge and veins on the back, 

 shining light or emerald green with broad brown bars, 

 finally entirely olive green, nerves depressed on the 

 upper surface, lower surface red with elevated nerves, 6 

 inches long 4 inches wide. Scape rather slender 9 

 inches long peduncle glabrous red. Bracts oblong £ 

 inch long or more in pairs light green. Panicle of few 

 usually two branches, terminal branch bearing one or 

 two female flowers opens first the lower branch bears 

 male flowers and after the female flowers are almost 

 over grows till it is much longer than the female branch, 

 and the male flowers then open. 



The male flowers in three or more terminal sepals 2 

 semiorbicular i inch long, red shining outside, pale 

 pinkish white within. Stamens connate, torus cylinclric 

 rather thick, anthers very numerous in a round head, 

 yellow oblanceolate 2 celled with a short stalk. 



Female flowers one or two only, ovary equally 3 

 winged with rounded wings, f inch long, as broad as 

 long. Sepals 4, 2 ovate obtuse white with red backs 2 

 narrower all white. Petals linear white narrow (not 

 always present) styles 3 short thick stigmas four lobed 

 unequally all yellow, 2 curved hornshaped, 2 reniform. 



Borneo, Sarawak on sandstone rocks at Bukit Ten- 

 dong near Busau, also Haviland 485,188. This very pret- 

 ty begonia grows quite flat on the vertical surfaces of the 

 high rocks. I could reach but few plants of.it, -but two 

 I brought to Singapore grew very readily and flowered 

 in December and January. 



R. A. Soc, No. 46,1906 



