1975 
AZALEA Seymouri. 
Garden Variety. 
Rhododendron Seymouri. 
MATER ; Rhododendron Rhodora (Rhodora Canadensis). Herbert MSS. 
Pater; Rhododendron luteum ( Azalea Pontica ). 
“A great number of plants were raised some years ago 
at Spofforth from Rhodora Canadensis, impregnated with 
the pollen of Azalea Pontica. Their constitution seemed 
ticklish, or the peat in which they were grown disagreed 
with them, and only one plant was preserved, which: formed 
a healthy low bush, more spreading than Rhodora. Its 
leaves are produced early in the spring, and last year E 
were very much damaged by a severe frost in April. lt 
pushed afresh afterwards vigorously, and formed two flower- 
ing buds. On the approach of spring, to avoid any danger 
of damage to the blossom by frost, the plant was potted, and 
placed in an airy greenhouse. The leaves pushed long 
before the flower buds began to move and completely clothed 
the plant before their expansion, contrary to the habit of 
Rhodora. The flowers expanded at the latter end of March, 
of the palest yellow, the number of stamens being irregular, 
Seven, or nine in the first that opened. I have at this moment 
before me an umbel of a genuine Azalea Pontica, of which 
two flowers have seven, and two six, stamens; shewing clearly 
that the deficiency of the five stamens of inferior power in 
the Azaleas is not a generic distinction, but an imperfection. 
It is observable that crosses between the genuine and the 
Azaleaform sections of Rhododendron generally have seven 
Or nine stamens, like the Indian Azalea, which forms an in- 
termediate section both as to leaf and flower. Some cross-bred 
Plants, between Rhododendron Ponticum and Azalea Pontica, 
raised from seed obtained the same season at Spofforth, hav- 
