Plate 231. 



BEGONIA DAYISI. 



Although one of the smallest of all the Peruvian Begonias, this plant is undoubtedly 

 one of the most floriferous and brilliant, and as such deserves culture, wherever Begonias of 

 the half-hardy or tuberous-rooted section are grown, for decorative purposes. The oblique- 

 cordate leaves grow in tufts near the surface of the soil, and are hairy on both surfaces. 

 The flowers are borne three together on graceful radical scapes which vary from three to 

 eight inches in height, the male flowers being about two inches in diameter and of the most 

 vivid orange-scarlet colour imaginable. The female flowers are rather smaller in size, but 

 equally dazzling in colour. The specific name appears to have been given to this plant in 

 honour of Mr. Davis, one of the most successful of Messrs. Yeitch's travellers in Peru and 

 other parts of South America ; but the plant must not be confounded with a variety of the 

 B. insignis group, which is, or was, grown at Kew and elsewhere under the same name. It 

 is not yet distributed, but when obtainable by amateurs will soon become popular as one 

 of the most distinct and brilliant of all decorative plants for pot culture, and we doubt not 

 but that the hybridist will soon infuse some of its vivid colouring into the rosy and crimson 

 varieties and sub-varieties of the B. VeitcM-loliviemis group. The plant was first exhibited 

 and received a first-class certificate at the Eoyal Horticultural Society's meeting held on 

 August 2nd of the present year. 



Plate 232. 



HIBISCUS DENISONI. 



This plant, in addition to its being new to cultivation, deserves notice as one of the 

 most distinct of all the numerous varieties of this genus which have at one time or other 

 been introduced to our gardens, and it possesses the additional merit of producing large and 

 effective creamy white flowers freely in succession on small plants — the specimen from which 

 our drawing was prepared being but little over a foot in height. The leathery dark green 

 foliage is also different from that of any other variety of Hibiscus known to us, and forms a 

 pleasing background to the great white petalled flowers, which are themselves far from 

 inelegant in form. The precise origin of the plant appears to be unknown, Mr. B. S. Wil- 

 liams having imported it from Australian gardens where it is much admired, as doubtless it 

 will be in our own when more plentiful. It well deserves culture as a pot plant, and requires 

 a warm greenhouse temperature. 



