THE CULTIVATED SPECIES OF BEGONIA. 



175 



rosy pink, on erect peduncles as long as the leaf- stalks. A distinct 

 and ornamental-leaved stove plant. 



B. Griffithii (Bot. Mag. t. 4984). — Introduced from Assam by 

 Messrs. E. H. Henderson in 1856. Stem, leaves, and habit as 

 in B. Bex, with which it has no doubt been crossed by breeders of 

 the ornamental-leaved Begonias. Its leaves are coloured olive- 

 green with a broad zone of grey tinged with red on the under side. 

 The flowers are large, fleshy, pink, and the winged ovary is 

 curiously crinkled along the angles. 



B. Haageana (Bot. Mag. t. 7028, as B. Scharffii). — Introduced 

 from Brazil in 1887 by Messrs. Haage & Schmidt, of Erfurt. 

 A tall shrubby plant, specimens at Kew having formed dense 

 bushes 6 feet high and 3 feet through. Whole plant hairy. Leaves 

 obliquely ovate-cordate, acuminate, wavy, a foot or more long, dark 

 green above with reddish nerves, crimson on the under side. 

 Peduncles axillary, afoot long, branched above into an enormous 

 cyme, 8 inches to 12 inches in diameter, crowded with flowers; 

 males and females generally on separate peduncles, the former 

 2tt inches across, with two large orbicular petals and two very 

 narrow ones, white ; females smaller, with five equal petals and 

 a short 3-angled ovary, with long subequal wings. The peduncles, 

 pedicels, ovaries, and under sides of the petals are covered with 

 long red hairs. This is certainly one of the most beautiful plants 

 in the genus. It forms a grand specimen, blooms all the year 

 round, and its large flowers remain upon the plants several 

 weeks. It has been distributed under the name of B. Scharf- 

 fiana through a mistake. It is a near ally of B. metallica and 

 B. echinosepala, and has already been crossed with both these 

 species. 



B. heracleifolia (Bot. Mag. tt. 3444, 4983). — Introduced from 

 Mexico by Herr Otto, of Berlin, about 1830. Stem a short thick 

 rhizome, bearing erect, stout, fleshy, hairy leaf-stalks 10 inches 

 to 18 inches long, tinged with red ; blades 6 inches to 12 inches 

 across, palmate, with toothed lobes, rich green. Peduncles a 

 yard or more high, hairy, bearing branching panicles of white 

 rose-tinted flowers ; males with two ovate petals ; females also 

 dipetalous, ovary 3-angled, with one long wing. Syns. B. ja- 

 trophcefolia, B. punctata, B. racliata. Var. nigricans has leaves 

 banded with very dark green. Var. longipila has long fleshy 

 hairs on the leaf-stalks and peduncles. This is a handscme 



