It is now several years since the present plant was 
raised in this country from seed, but not till within a few 
weeks had it produced its blossoms, in any collection in 
Europe. In the beginning of April we were kindly supplied 
with the specimen from which our figure has been taken 
by Mrs. Alexander Baring, under the judicious manage- 
ment of whose Gardener at the Grange, Mr. Peter M'Ar- 
thur, the plant had expanded its flowers in all their beauty. 
It may easily be imagined, that this will be, at some 
future time, the most conspicuous ornament of our shrub- 
beries. In its own country, it thrives only in very cold 
districts, and with us, such young plants as have been 
established in the open air seem quite regardless of the 
severity of European winters. 
Two very distinct varieties are to be met with in col- ^ 
lections ; the one with leaves silvery beneath, which is the 
kind now published ; and the other with the under-surface 
of the leaves covered with a brown tomentum. These 
dijfferences should be borne in mind by collectors, because 
while the one has now been proved to bear flowers of the 
kind here represented, it is by no means certain that the 
other is equally beautiful. All the native specimens which 
we have examined agree with the variety before us ; of the 
ferruginous kind we have seen no wild specimen. It is not 
in^probable^ that it is indebted for its altered colour to one 
of two species not yet introduced, with pale flowers, and 
leaves ferruginous beneath. 
Leaves oval-lanceolate, stalked, acute, 4-6 inches long, 
1 J inch broad, above smooth and dull, with sunken veins, 
b^^ath silvery, with smooth prominent naked veins. 
Flowers terminal clustered in a short raceme, proceeding 
from a bud covered outside with oblong, imbricated brown 
scales, which gradually become more acute, membranous 
and silky as they a.pproach the flowers, amos^ which they 
are finsjly mixed, as in Enkianthus, in thfe form of bracti • 
which are placed sini^ly under each flower, and are spatu- 
late-lanceolate, bowed, cymbiform, white, silky, the length 
of flowers, and fallino off with the flowers. Pedicels short, 
wrinkled, scurfy. Cali/.r short, flattish, o-toothed, pubescent. 
Caro//a dark scarlet, fleshy, campanulate, at the base with 
6 prominences, 5-lobed, \\ inch long, wiA roundecl, wavy» 
emarginate lobes, of which the lowest are largest ; the 
throat covered with dark purple spots. Stamens 10, hypo- 
gynous, the length of corolla; filaments white, fleshy, 
filiform. Anthcr.s brown, oblong, apparently inverted, and 
^erefore opening by two pores at the end, not calcarate. 
Polfan pale yellow, .globose, clusteroii in •tluec». 
