57 
BEGONIA ULMIFOLIA. 
Elm-leaved Begonia. 
MONCECIA POLYANDRIA Nat. Ord. BEGONIACEM, BmpL De Cand. 
Gen. Char. — Mas. Cal. 0. Corolla poljrpetala. Petala, plerumque quatuor, 
inaequalia. FosM. Cal. 0. Corolla petalis 4-9, plerumque insequalibus. 
Styli tres, bifidi. Capsula triquetra, alata, trilocularis, polysperma. 
Begonia ulmifolia, Willd. *S^. PI. v. iv. p. 418. — Pers. Si/n. PI. v. ii. p. 56'4. 
Haw. Saxifr. Enum. 1821, p. 197- 
Stem two feet or more in height, declined, herbaceous, green, succulent, 
branched, beset with a few soft scattered hairs, which are deciduous be- 
low. Leaves large, handsome, alternate and distichous, petiolate, with 
large ovate stipules at the base, obovato-oblong, acute, unequal, in their 
lower half duplicato-dentate ; very glossy above, furrowed with veins, 
hispid with soft white hairs, deep green ; below paler, the nerves promi- 
nent, furnished with a few soft hairs. Petioles very much shorter than 
the leaves, green, hispid. 
Peduncles arising from the axils of the superior leaves, 4 to 6 inches in length, 
yet shorter than the leaves, twice forked at the extremity, each ramifica- 
tion bearing an umbel of mixed male and female flowers ; every general 
and partial flower-stalk is furnished with an ovate, membranaceous brac- 
tea, resembling the stipules. 
Male jlowers rather large, showy, white, or tinged with rose color, com- 
posed of 2 rounded, nearly plane, spreading petals. Anthers numerous, 
yellow, united at the base. Filaments rather long. Female Jlowers with 
a germen, which is triangular, pilose, and trialate, wings unequal ; one 
of them very large, white, veined, Avith a protruded, rather acute point ; 
the two others green, short, very obtuse. Corollas of 4 unequal, 2 small 
and ovate, and 2 large and rounded, white petals. Styles 3, bifid, curved : 
Stigmas 2-lobed ; all of them glanduloso-punctated, yellow-green. 
This Begonia, appropriately enough named ulmifolia by 
WiLLDENOW, makes a very handsome appearance in the 
stove, with its large glossy, distichous, luxuriant foliage, and 
its delicate, pale rose-colored flowers, which have bright yellow 
stamens. 
VOL. I. 
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