BEGONIA NIT'IDA. 
SHINING BEGONIA 
EXOGEX.®. 
OR 
DICOTi'LEDOXEiB. 
Natural division 
to which 
tnis Plant belongs. 
j 
NATURAL ORDER, BEGONIACE.^ 
MOXOCHLAilTDEJS 
OF 
DECAXDOLLE, 
Artificial divisions 
to which 
this Plant belongs. 
MOXCECIA, 
POLTAXDBIA, 
OF LIXXECS. 
GENUS. Begonia. Lixysrs. Flores moncEci. ^Iasceli. Perigonium 
tetraphyllum, foliolis subrotundis, duobus exterioribus majoribus. Stamina 
plurima; filamenta brevissima, libera vel basi connata, anther® extrors®, 
bilocuIareSjloculHineares, discreti, connectivi continui obtus® margini adnati, 
longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Fceminei. Perigonium tubo triptero, cnm 
orario connato, limbi superi, quadrinoTempartiti,persistentibus lobis pluriseria- 
tim imbricatis, Oyula in placentis e loculorum angulo centrali bilamellatis 
plurima, anatropa. Stili tres, bifidi; stigmata crassa, flexuosa vel capitata. 
Capsula membranaceo-trialata, trilocularis, luculicide-trivalvis. Semina 
plurima, minima, striata. Embryo in axi albuminis carnosi orthotropus. 
Herbje in Asia et America tropica indigenae, foliis alternis, petiolatis, integris 
vel palmatilobis, basi s®pe cordatis, inaequilateris, integerrimis, dentatis vel 
mucronate-serratis, stijmlis lateralibus membranaceis deciduis, c^Tuis axilla- 
ribus pedunculatis dichotomis, floribus albis roseis vel rubicundis. Enducher. 
Genera, p. 941. 
SPECIES. Begonia nitida (Hortvs KEWEysis) fruticosa erecta, foliis 
glaberrimis in®qualiter cordatis obsolete dentatis, capsula ala maxima subro¬ 
tunda. DRYiyDER, Trans. Linnean Society of London, vol. I, p. 159. 
Character of the Genus, Begonia. Flower monoecious. 
Staminiferous Flowers with the perigone of four segments, the 
folioles roundish, the two exterior large. Stamens numerous; fila¬ 
ments very short, free or united at the base, anthers exti’orse, two- 
celled, cells linear, distinct, adherent to the obtuse margin of the 
continuous connectivum, dehiscing longitudinally. Pistiliferous 
Flowers having the tube of the perigone three-winged, united to the 
ovary, the limb superior, of from four to nine segments, the persistent 
lobes imbricated in several rows. Ovary inferior, three-celled. 
Ovules numerous, anatropous, attached to placentae, formed of two 
plates, springing from the cenhal angles of the cells. Styles three, 
two-cleft; stigmata thick, flexuose or capitate. Capsule triangular, 
from three membranaceous wings, three-celled, splitting by a loculi- 
cidal dehiscence into three valves. Seeds numerous, small, striated. 
Embryo orthotropous, in the axis of a fleshy albumen. 
Description of the Species, Begonia nitida. Stem inclined 
to be woody at the lower part, upper rather fleshy and succulent, 
round, branched, remarkably smooth, and, as well as the undersurface 
