B. 'C. P. Raffill'

Shortly before the beginning of the last war the firm: of Van Houtte in Ghent, Belgium, displayed at flower shows at Ghent' three new, valuable bush begonias:' 'Axel Lange', 'L. H.. Russel' and 'Frau Hoffman'.. Although two-'L. R. Russel' and 'Frau Hoffmann' remind one strongly of the rex-begonias produced by crossing B. rex with B. diadema, this is not the case. In the production of these new sorts not. two but a number of parents were' utilized besides. the already mentioned rex; B. Griffithi and 'President Carnot' played a role.

A fourth plant might well have been added to this trio, as it is another Bush or tree-like Begonia, with foliage loosely tending to Rex. This is BEGONIA C. P, RAFFILL, also in the 1937 Russell Catalogue, and named after the well known Officer of Kew Gardens who passed away only last year. This also I cannot trace parentage of, but, as the enclosed photo shows, it is tree-like, rather straggly with age, somewhat weak stemmed unless grown in more than, usual temperature, pointing to a more exotic parent~ at least on one side.

It is however, so unlike any other Begonia that it is not easy to guess at possible parentage. It is the only Begonia I know with almost black leaves, this colour spreading from the veins over a intense deep background of silver overcast 'with this cherry black shadow. The smooth succulent stems are deep wine red, and the leaves elephant ear shaped: lightly lobed, slightly cupped, and most distinct. Perhaps it is, another of the above group of European crosses, between a Rex and a cane stemmed Begonia. If so, these rare crossings of rhizomatous by fibrous seem to have remained unsung hitherto.

• Classification: Cultivar
• Plant Type: Rex Cultorum
• Origin: Europe, UK
• Originator: Russell
• Date of Origin: 1937