5L 



BEGONIA GRANDIFLORA. 



believe it to be the plant mentioned by LTHeritier in his " Stirpes nova aut minus 

 cognitce^ p. 101, under the name Begonia Octopetala, with which description it 

 agrees. It appears to have been first cultivated in the Paris Garden, from seeds 

 sent there from South America about the year 1778, by Mr. Joseph Dombey, 

 the celebrated Botanist and Traveller ; but according to LTHeritier it had not 

 flowered in that establishment, nor was it in a very flourishing condition ; his 

 remarks are " sed nondum floruit nee optime hue usque viguiV It is a native of 

 Lima. It requires a moderately warm stove, and, if well managed, will remain in 

 flower upwards of two months. 



In our fourth number (fol. 28) we have some remarks on the affinity of Bego- 

 nias, as well as on the anomalous species figured by Dr. Lindley in the Botanical 

 Register, under the name of Begonia petalodes. This plant, by possessing both 

 calyx and corolla, was a great Botanical curiosity, the genus being previously 

 considered to possess but one floral envelope. Our present plant has a similar 

 development. It will be seen on looking at the plate that the outer envelope is 

 green exteriorly, which colour it retains after expansion, and during the whole 

 period of its flowering. It consists of four parts joined together at the base, 

 and which we call sepals ; the four interior parts are alternate with the exterior, 

 and are perfectly free from the green colour of the latter. These we have called 

 petals without the slightest hesitation, and we feel convinced that such is the 

 structure of the plant we have been describing. Dr. Lindley, in the second 

 edition of his Natural System of Botany, has founded upon his Begonia petalodes 

 a new genus under the name of Eupetalum, from Ev, well, and Tlerakov, a petal ; 

 but with all due deference to that distinguished botanist, we scarcely think it 

 necessary to divide so natural a genus, and should rather see the term used as a 

 sectional one, and the genus kept entire. We would therefore suggest Exopetalum 

 as a sectional name for those species which have only one floral envelope, from 

 E£co, without, and Tlerakov, a petal ; and Eupetalum for such as have both calyx 

 and corolla. 



It is necessary to remark that our plates were worked off before we had 

 satisfied ourselves as to the structure of this remarkable species, and consequently 

 before we perceived the necessity of changing the specific name. 



Fig. 1, stamens of a male flower ; 2, multifid stigmas of a female flower, with 

 the winged capsule. 



