THE CULTIVATED SPECIES OF BEGONIA. 



188 



Haage & Schmidt. A robust herbaceous perennial with very 

 hairy stems and leaves, the latter large, thick and fleshy , olive - 

 green above, crimson below ; stipules very large. Flowers on 

 stout drooping peduncle, like those of B. Haageana. This species 

 resembles B. Haageana in every character except the above, and 

 in its being a less floriferous plant. It has the peculiar habit of 

 sometimes producing leaves as well as flowers on the peduncle. 

 Although inferior to B. Haageana, it is nevertheless a good 

 garden Begonia. A variety of it called minor has smaller leaves 

 and is a much dwarfer plant. B. Scharffiana has been grown at 

 Kew into a specimen a yard through, with leaves 10 inches wide. 



B. Sutherlandii (Bot. Mag. t. 5689). — Introduced from Natal 

 in 1867 by Messrs. J. Backhouse & Sons, York. Bootstock 

 tuberous. Stems annual, herbaceous, 1 foot to 2 feet high, 

 coloured bright red. Leaves with slender red petioles, 2 inches 

 to 3 inches long; blade 4 inches to 6 inches long, lanceo- 

 late, lobed and serrated, green with red veins and margin. 

 Flowers numerous, on slender red peduncles, males with four 

 unequal, females with five equal petals ; colour coppery or 

 salmon-red. A pretty little plant that may be grown in a cool 

 greenhouse all the year round, or out of doors in summer and 

 stored in a shed in winter. 



B. Thioaitesii (Bot. Mag. t. 4692). — Introduced from Ceylon 

 in 1852 by Kew. Bootstock tuberous. Leaves all radical, with 

 cordate blades 5 inches long on hairy petioles 3 inches long ; 

 colour coppery green mixed with purple and blotched with 

 grey, covered with purple hairs, the under side crimson. Flowers 

 white tinged with pink. This is chiefly interesting as a variegated 

 leaved plant. It requires stove treatment. Messrs. Veitch ob- 

 tained a First-class Certificate for it in 1885. 



B. Veitchii (Bot. Mag. t. 5663).— Introduced from the 

 Peruvian Andes in 1867 by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons. It is 

 similar to B. Clarkei, but is slightly less vigorous in habit and 

 smaller in foliage, and it surpasses that species in the brilliancy 

 of its flower-colour. Sir Joseph Hooker said of it : " Of all the 

 species of Begonia known this is the finest. With the habit of 

 Saxifraga ciliata, immense flowers of a vivid cinnabar-red, it adds 

 the novel feature of being hardy in certain parts of England." 

 After fifteen years' experience with it, we are bound to say that 

 it cannot be called hardy anywhere in England. It is one of 

 the progenitors of the race of tuberous-rooted Begonias. 



