Begonia.] BEGONIACEM, 383 



The Papaw or Papaya-tree (Carica Papaya, L.), belonging to the natural 

 order Caricacem, is much cultivated for its edible fruit in Indian gardens, 

 and in all tropical countries. It is a large tree-like herbaceous plant, 

 with a succulent trunk terminated by a tuft of large glabrous pal- 

 matifid leaves. Floivers tisually dioecious. Male floioers in long droop- 

 ing panicles ; stamens It*, inserted in the mouth of the corolla, alter- 

 nately shorter. Fein, floivers in short cl listers ; ovary free ; ovules many, 

 attached in 2 rows to 5 periatal placentas. Fruit succulent, 1-celled, 

 oblong, furrowed indehiscent. This plant is indigenous in 0. Ameria 

 and the W. Indies. For a full account of its medicinal properties, 

 and ot the remarkable action of its milky juice in contact with nitro- 

 genous substances, see Dr. Watt's Dictionary article. 



LV.— BEGONIACEJH. 



Succulent herbs ornndershrubs; stem of ten reduced to a rhizome or 

 tuber. Leaves alternate, more or less unequal-sided, entire toothed or 

 lobed ; stipules 2, free, often deciduous. Fedunchs axillary, divided 

 into dichotomous cymes, the branches and bracts at their divisions 

 generally opposite. Flowers usually showy, monnecious. Male : 

 perianth (of Begonia, the only Indian genus) of 2 outer valvate 

 opposite sepaloid segments, and 2-0 inner smaller segments ; stamens 

 many, free or 1-adelphous, anthers narrowly obovoid. Female : 

 Perianth (of Begonia) of 5-2 segments. Ovary (of Begonia) in- 

 ferior, 2-3-4-ceiled ; placentas vertical, axile (in bud), divided or 

 simple ; styles 2-4, free or combined at the base, stigmas branched 

 or tortuous ; ovules very many. Fruit usually capsular, often 

 winged. Seeds very many, minute, globose or narrow cylindric, testa 

 reticulated, albumen very scanty or none.— Species about 400, in all 

 trop. moist countries except Australia. 



BEGONIA, Linn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. ii, 635. 

 For characters see the Order. 



B. amsena. Wall. Cat. 3692 ; F. B I. ii, 642. B. tenella, Don. Prod. 

 223 ; Boyle III, 313. 



A glabrous succulent herb with a tuberous rhizome. Stem usually very 

 she rt or 0, often producing runners from the base. Leaves 3 by 2 in'., 

 ovate or oblong, candate-acuminate, equally cordate at the base, crenate- 

 serrate ; petiole 2-3 in.; stipules ovate. Scape o-8 in., few-flowered, 

 laxly 2-chotomous ; hrads ovate-oblong, caducous. Floivers pink. 

 Male fl. : 2 outer lobes of perianth ovate, the 2 inner narrower. 

 Stamens shortly 1-adelph. Fem. fl. with 3 perianth segments, 2 ovate 

 and one smaller lateral one, all becoming enlarged and persistent. 



