Befugium Botanicuni.] [March, 1871. 
TAB. 246. 
Natural Order Begoniace.^.. 
Genus Begonia, Tourn. 
Section Gireoudia, A. D.C. Proclr. xv. 334. 
B. CONCH^FOLIA [Dletr. Allg. Gartenzeit. 1851, p. 258). Subacaulis, 
rhizomate obliqiio, petiolis rufescentibus ferrugineo-tomentosis, foliis 
peltatis inaequilateraliter late ovatis acutis iiiconspicue dentatis 
carnosis supra glabris nitide viridibiis infra albidis sparse ferru- 
gineo-tomentosis, nervis 7 — 8 ex apice petioli radiantibus, floribus 
in corymbis 2-sexualibus densifloris dispositis, ramis ferrugineo- 
tomentosis, scapo petiolis longioribus, floribus masculis segmentis 
2 obovatis, foemineis segmentis 2 omnino similibus, ovario bracteolis 
2 magnis obovatis suffultis angulo singulo late alato. — A. D.C. 
Proclr. XV. 337. Gireoudia conchcpfolia, Klotzch, Beg. p. 97. 
G. Warcewicziana, Hort. Berol. B. scutellata, Lieb. Mex. Beg. p. 9. 
A native of Mexico and Central America. 
Scarcely caulescent, suberect, about half a foot high. Petioles 
three to six inches long, reddish, finely clothed with ferruginous 
tomentum. Leaves peltate, broad-ovate in general outline, acute, 
with the petiole inserted three-quarters of the w^ay down and 
nearer one side than the other ; teeth faint and distant ; texture 
very fleshy ; upper surface bright green, quite glabrous, lower 
shining, whitish, covered with very minute wdiite papillae and a 
little ferruginous tomentum on the nerves. Scape three to six 
inches long, erect, slender, finely tomentose. Flowers in dense 
dichotomous terminal bisexual corj^mbs, with densely ferrugineo- 
pubescent branches. Ultimate pedicels straight, two to three 
lines long. Segments of the female flowers two, pinkish, obovate, 
two and a half to three lines long; the style three-cleft to the 
base ; the ovary with one angle mainly winged, nearly hidden by 
a pair of large oblong persistent hracteoles. Male floicers with 
two precisely similar segments, the free stamens in a laterally 
flattened cluster. 
Tab. 246. — 1, a male flower ; 2, a single stamen ; 3, a female flower ; 
4 and 5, as in the last. — J. G. B. 
