SOUTH AMERICA IN ITS RELATION TO HORTICULTURE. 55 



Many other unfamiliar plants of this class might be mentioned 

 which are not adapted to general cultivation, but I will pass on to 

 mention a few florist's flowers of South American . origin which are 

 invaluable for our greenhouses and gardens in summer time. I refer 

 more particularly to the tuberous -rooted Begonias, which have been 

 * ' improved ' ' from several very beautiful wild species brought from the 

 high Andes of Peru and Bolivia. The wild species which have played the 

 most important part in the production of our modern garden varieties 

 are B. boliviensis , B. Pearcei, B. Veitchii, B. Davisii, and B. rosae- 

 flora. B. holivie7isis is different in character from the other - species 

 mentioned, and has long drooping scarlet flowers. It was used by 

 Seden in the production of the first hybrid tuberous begonias in 1869. 

 The influence of the yellow-flowered B. Pearcei (fig. 29) with its ele- 

 gantly marked leaves can be traced in all our modern yellow -flowered 

 varieties. Both this species and the brilliant scarlet-flowered B. Davisii 

 have left their mark conspicuously on the general habit of our modern 

 forms, and from many points of view are to be preferred to some of the. 

 over-grown Camellia-like monstrosities which pass for Begonias at the 

 present day. B. rosae flora, another beautiful wild species, is of 

 interest since the first white forms of the tuberous Begonia arose from 

 the selection of pale-coloured seedlings ol this species. 



It is a matter of regret that several of the original introductions of 

 Begonia species have now been lost to cultivation, and many others of 

 great beauty are only to be met with occasionally in Botanic Gardens. 



Some interesting results in the production of winter-flowering 

 varieties have recently been obtained by crossing Begonia socotrana 

 with species from the Andes. 



Many other greenhouse plants, such as Browallia, Gloxinia, Ges- 

 nera, Heliotro'pium, might be mentioned, which have their home in 

 South America, and for whose introduction we are indebted in many 

 cases to the activities of the collectors of Messrs. Veitch, but there are 

 two genera of herbaceous and shrubby plants to which I wish more 

 particularly to draw your attention. They are the Fuchsias and Galcea- 

 larias, some species and varieties of which are old-fashioned favourites 

 in the humblest of our gardens. Both are large genera, and the majority 

 of their species have their home in South America, but representatives 

 are also to be found in New Zealand, and Fuchsias extend as far north 

 as Mexico. 



Over two hundred species of Calceolaria have been discovered in 

 South America. Many of the most remarkable unfortunately have never 

 reached this country alive, and some of the more beautiful species are 

 by no means easy of cultivation since it has not been found possible to 

 propagate them by seed. In these two genera also, as is so often the 

 case, the pure species tends to be neglected because a larger-flowered 

 and perhaps less artistic hybrid or variety has been raised. In 

 Botanic Gardens, however, the species may still be found, and the 

 following, among others, may be mentioned as worthy of general 

 attention : C. alha, C. fuchsiae folia, C. plantaginea, G. pumila, 



