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BEGONIA GRANDIFLORA. 



(Large-flowered Begonia.) 

 LINNEAN SYSTEM. NATURAL ORDER. 



MONCECIA POLYANDRIA. BEGONIACEJ3. — (Brown.) 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Begonia (Linn.) Masc. Corolla nunc 0, nunc tetrapetala. Calyx polysepalus ; sepala 

 plerumque (non semper) inaequalia. — Fsem. Corolla nunc 0, nunc tetrapetala. Calyx sepalis 

 4-9 plerumque insequalibus. Styli 3 bifidi rarius multifidi. Capsula triquetra, alata, trilocularis, 

 polysperma. 



Male. Corolla sometimes none, sometimes 4-petaled. Calyx many-sepaled ; sepals generally 

 (not always) unequal. — Female. Corolla sometimes none, sometimes 4-petaled. Calyx with 

 from 4 to 9 sepals, generally unequal. Styles 3, 2-cleft, rarely many-cleft. Capsule 3-sided, 

 winged, 3-celled, many-seeded. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



B. grandiflora; acaulis, hirsuta ; foliis radicalibus 1-3 reniformibus, venosis multilobatis, 

 lobis acutis incisis insequaliter argute serratis ; scapo dichotomo multifloro ; bracteis ovatis 

 acuminatis deciduis ; pedicellis longissimis : petalis et sepalis obovatis sequalibus integerrimis. 



Stemless, hairy; leaves from the root, from 1 to 3, kidney-shaped, veined, many-lobed, 

 lobes acute, incised unequally, sharply serrated ; scape forked, many -flowered j bractece ovate, 

 acuminate, falling off ; pedicels very long, petals and sepals obovate, equal, very entire. 



Begonia octopetala. — L'Herit. Stirp. Nova, aut minus cognitce, p. 101. Willd. sp. Plant. 



Descr. — Perennial, root tuberous, from which the leaves are produced. Leaves large, 

 kidney-shaped, measuring twelve inches across, and six inches in depth, lobed, incised, and 

 serrated as stated in the specific character, strongly veined, and covered with strigose hairs, more 

 particularly on the under side. Petiole hairy as long as the depth of the leaf. Stem none. 

 Scape about two feet high, forked, stout and fleshy, covered also with hairs similar to those on 

 the leaf, and bearing many corymbs of whitish flowers, disposed in threes. Bractece ovate 

 acuminate, sometimes toothed, shrivelling, and falling off soon after the flowers are expanded. 

 Pedicels long, some measuring three inches in length, hairy, articulated with the scape. Flowers, 

 male and female mixed together, usually two male to one female. Calyx four-sepalled, sepals 

 obovate, some few of which are reticulated. Petals four (in the male flowers occasion- 

 ally five), smaller than the sepals, and alternate with them. Anthers two-celled, bursting 

 longitudinally, and continuous with the filament. Styles three multifid. Ovarium winged ; 

 wings unequally developed. Seeds numerous. 



Of all the Begonias cultivated in the stove, this is certainly the most conspicuous 

 in its inflorescence, some of the flowers being three inches in diameter. We 



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