506 WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 
alpine species with crowded persistent bud-scales and bracts. A specimen from 
Hort. Veitch differs in having the style about one-half longer than the ovary, but 
shorter than the stamens. 
Group b. 
Stamens nearly as long as the corolla; style shorter than the stamens; corolla 
purple, more or less villose at the mouth; flowers solitary. Leaves less than 1 
em. long. 
Rhododendron alpicola Rehder & Wilson, n. sp. 
Frutex 0.30-1 m. altus, intricato-ramosus ramis brevibus erecto- 
patentibus; ramuli hornotini fusco-lepidoti; gemmae ovoideae ob- 
. tusae, perulis paucis rotundatis in medio dorsi lepidotis ciliatis. 
Folia coriacea, congesta, ovata, rarius ovalia, obtusa, basi rotundata 
v. late cuneata, margine leviter revoluta, 5-8 mm. longa et 2-5 mm. 
lata, supra atroviridia et squamulis flavescentibus nitidulis dense 
obtecta, subtus squamulis pallide flavescenti-cinereis congestis den- 
sissime obtectis paucis fuscis intermixtis, costa nervisque obscuris; 
petioli fusco-lepidoti, 1-2 mm. longi. Flores solitarii, e gemma ter- 
minali orti, brevissime pedicellati, basi bracteis lineari-oblongis 
ciliatis suffulti; calyx cupularis, dense lepidotus, 5-lobus lobis in- 
aequalibus, 1 v. 2 oblongis circiter 2 mm. longis sparse ciliolatis, 
reliquis minutis rotundatis; corolla infundibuliformis, circiter 1.5 cm. 
diam., violaceo-purpurea (“lavender-purple "), extus glabra; tubo 
4 mm. longo intus ad faucem sparse villoso, lobis patentibus late 
ovatis v. obovatis, 8-10 mm. longis; stamina 10, subaequalia, corolla 
paullo breviora, filamentis gracilibus complanatis 7-9 mm. longis 
in trienti inferiore ima basi excepta villosis, antheris fulvis; ovarium 
conicum, circiter 2 mm. longum, dense squamulis virescenti-flavidis 
obtectum; stylus purpureus, rectus, staminibus brevior, 4 mm. longus; 
infra medium pilosus, stigmate capitato atropurpureo.  Capsu 
ovoidea, circiter 4 mm. longa, dense lepidota, 5-valvata, ad basi 
dehiscens. 
Western Szech'uan: north of Tachien-lu, Ta-p'ao-shan, moor 
lands, 4000—5000 m., July 7, 1908 (No. 3465). 
This species is perhaps most closely related to R. ramosissimum Franchet, 
which is distinguished by the rufous-brown color of the lower surface of the leaves, 
and by the different calyx and glabrous style. Rhododendron thymifolium agora 
wicz differs in the oblong or obovate leaves, uniformly pale gray below, in its 
calyx deciduous from the fruit and apparently glabrous style. 
Rhododendron alpicola, var. strictum Rehder & Wilson, n. var. , 
A typo differt habitu fastigato, floribus interdum 2 v. 3, bracteis 
