Curtis's botanical magazine. London; New York [etc.]: Academic Press [etc.] v. 69=ser. 2: v. 16 (1842-1843) [no. 3964-4047]: Plate 3990, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/14347 Begonia coccinea. Scarlet-flowered Begonia; or Elephant's Ear. Unquestionably the most beautiful of the many handsome species of BEGONIA now known to our collections, and, apparently, a very free flowerer. It was imported by Mr. VEITCH of the Exotic Nursery from the Organ Mountains of Brazil, that rich storehouse of vegetable beauties: being. there detected by Mr. Lobb in 1841. It blossomed at Mr. Veitch’s Nursery soon after it was received, namely, in April 1842, when it was exhibited at the apartments of the Horticultural Society. When the plants became larger, and the blossom consequently, more copious, it will be a truly splendid species: and, like most of the BEGONIAS, its flowers continue a long time in perfection. Description: The plant from which our drawing and description were made, was scarcely a foot high, with a rather stout, knotted stem. Leaves alternate, very oblique, or in-equilateral, between ovate and oblong, shortly acuminate, concave, very thick and fleshy, the margin sinuated and toothed, bordered with red. Petioles scarcely an inch long: at the base of the upper ones are very large, concave, obovate, membranaceous, colored stipules, which soon fall away as the leaves attain maturity. Peduncles axillary and terminal, rather short, red, bearing a dichotomous, spreading, and drooping panicle: its branches everywhere red, and with oblong, concave, red, deciduous bracts. Flowers bright scarlet, exceedingly beautiful. Male flowers of four rounded., spreading petals, or sepals; female, of five or six spreading, oblong-ovate, and equally-sized ones. Stamens and styles yellow. Ovary and nearly-mature fruit clavate, or narrowly pyriform, triangular, with three almost equal projecting, and below decurrent wings. The ovaries and young fruit are both red.; Paxton’s Magazine of Botany, v. 10, 1843 B. coccinea: The beautiful genus Begonia is remarkable for the curious and interesting form of its leaves, which are often pleasingly marked, or richly colored on the underside; for the extremely graceful disposition of its flowers, these being usually arranged in a loose spreading panicle; and for the delicate tints of its blossoms, which are generally whitish, more or less tinged with blush, and having a fine cluster of yellow stamens in the middle. Added to these circumstances, there is seldom a month in which the inflorescence of some of the prettiest kinds is not developed; and they will consequently be seen to be of great service to the grower of stove plants. The species now added to our collections, and which is here very well depicted, was imported, with many other handsome things, some of which we have already figured, by Messrs. Veitch and Son, nurserymen, of Exeter, from the Organ Mountains of Brazil, having been brought from thence by these gentlemen's collector, Mr. William Lobb. It bloomed towards the close of last season, for the first time, and has again flowered early in the present year, when the specimen from which our drawing has been made was. obligingly communicated. Plants continue in flower, and will probably blossom throughout the greater part of the year. It is an exceedingly attractive species, growing about eighteen inches in height, branching liberally, and producing a great quantity of its elegantly nodding panicles of flowers. These, and the large prominent capsules, being of a bright deep red color, while the space between the projecting angles of the latter is shaded off almost to white, the whole plant is showier than any other species known to us. A handsome specimen which is flowering superbly at Mrs. Lawrence's, Ealing Park, is one of the finest features in the stove at this period, and yields in interest to scarcely any of our old established favorites. In propagating the species, common cuttings are employed, and are treated in the ordinary way, requiring some care to keep them from damping off. The plant, like most of the other Begonias, will not bear to be neglected, but must be cultivated, in the literal sense of the word. It should be potted in rich loam of a light and fibrous nature, mixed with about a third of loose decayed manure, or leaf-mold, and shifted gradually into a moderate-sized pot. If planted in very poor soil, or much cramped at the roots, it will never grow and bloom otherwise than imperfectly. While growing, it demands a large supply of water, though it is essential that the drainage be so good as to admit of this fluid passing off readily.; Belgique Horticole, t.18 (1868) B. coccinea: By publishing in 1866 (see Horticultural Belgium, 1866, pp. 21, pl. III-IV) the figure of this plant, we had promised to return to it. But we had lost sight of this commitment when it was remembered by Dr. Regel who, in the last issue of Gartenflora (1868, July 1944), gives a note and a plate of the same kind. He reports it, with good reason, to Hooker's Begonia coccinea, while supposing that it is a hybrid form resulting from his union with Schott's Begonia undulata. Be that as it may, we had dedicated this form to Count Alfred de Limminghe, of Gentinnes, a talented botanist, a passionate horticultural enthusiast; it is, no doubt, by one of those errors too frequent on the labels of plants, that Mr. Glijm of Utrecht communicated this Begonia to Mr. Regel under the foul name of Count Alfred de Limering. This Begonia is one of the most beautiful plants that can be grown in hanging baskets: its stems describe graceful festoons, falling gracefully and carry hundreds of flowers the color of pale coral, that is to say a nice light red-orange. We have seen some of these baskets that looked the most seductive. He likes the apartments and claims only moderate heat. It has been widely used for many years at most of our horticulturists. He gives his flowers preferably at the beginning of the year. It is a plant to recommend for many people, for winter gardens, rock greenhouses or it will produce a charming effect. He is satisfied with the most ordinary care.
