THE CULTIVATED SPECIES OF BEGONIA. 



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stock tuberous. Stems annual, short, green, zigzag, slightly 

 downy. Leaves on short petioles, obliquely ovate, lobed and 

 serrate, 4 inches to 7 inches long, green, red-edged when young. 

 Peduncles erect, 9 inches to 12 inches, bright red, bearing a 

 compact panicle of cinnabar-red flowers 2 inches across. Male 

 flowers with four, females with five petals ; ovary triangular 

 with one long and two short wings. Greenhouse. 



B. Clarlcei (Bot. Mag. t. 5675). — Introduced from Bolivia 

 by Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, although at first stated to 

 be from Peru. Eootstock tuberous. Stems and leaves as in 

 B. cinnabarina, but more robust. Peduncles green, bearing few 

 (usually only two) flowers, which are like those of B. cinnabarina, 

 but rosy red in colour. Flowered by Col. T. Clarke in 18G7. 

 Greenhouse. 



B. coccinea (Bot. Mag. t. 3990). — Introduced from Brazil by 

 Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons in 1841. A beautiful plant, having 

 tall, succulent, bamboo-like branching stems, 6 feet or more in 

 height. Leaves green, on short petioles, obliquely oblong, 

 angular, with wavy, red margins, 4 inches to 6 inches long. 

 Peduncles axillary, branched, drooping, bearing numerous deep 

 coral-red flowers ; males \ inch across, of four unequal petals ; 

 females most attractive owing to the length and rich colour of 

 the ovary, which has three small subequal wings. The male and 

 female flowers are usually upon separate peduncles. This is a 

 grand plant when properly grown. It likes a sunny position in 

 a warm, moist house, where it should be planted out. Its 

 flowers are very persistent and exceedingly ornamental. In a 

 pot, unless very liberally treated, it makes a poor specimen. In 

 the warmer parts of France and Italy it is grown out of doors. 

 It was discovered by Gardner in 1837, who described it as " a 

 magnificent plant growing on rocks and sometimes on the stems 

 of trees on the Organ Mountains in Brazil." Syns. B. corallina, 

 B. maculata var. corallina. 



B. crinita (Bot. Mag. t. 5897). — Introduced from Bolivia by 

 Messrs. Veitch & Sons in 1866. Rootstock tuberous, with fleshy, 

 hairy, red stems a foot high, and ovate, cordate, irregularly toothed 

 leaves, 2 inches to 5 inches long, green, tinged with red on the 

 under side. Peduncles erect, dichotomous, red, producing three 

 pale rose-coloured flowers, two female, one male ; males 1^ inch 

 across, with two broad and two narrow petals ; females with five 



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