ERICACEAE. — RHODODENDRON 519 
purple); north of Tachien-lu, Ta-p’ao-shan, alt. 2600-3600 m., July 
9, 1908 (No. 1196*; bush 2-3 m. tall, flowers purple); south-east of 
Tachien-lu, woodlands, alt. 3000-3300 m., September 1908 (No. 1201; 
bush 1-2 m. tall); near Tachien-lu, alt. 3000 m., June 1908 (No. 3411; 
bush 1-4 m. tall, flowers dark purple); same locality, woods, alt. 
2600-3000 m., October 1910 (No. 4236; bush 1.5-3 m. tall); without 
precise locality, alt. 2600-3000 m., May and October 1904 (Veitch 
Exped. No. 3942 and seed Nos. 1766, 1879). Western Hupeh: Fang 
Hsien, thickets, alt. 1600-2300 m., May 27, 1907 (No. 3456; bush 1- 
2 m. tall, lowers white to rosy-purple); Changyang Hsien, cliffs, alt. 
1600 m., April 1907 (No. 3456^; bush 2 m. tall); without precise lo- 
cality, May 1900 (Veitch Exped. No. 1969). Shensi: without precise 
locality, 1910, W. Purdom (No. 1). 
This is a very common species in the margins of woods and thickets throughout 
western Szech'uan. It is comparatively rare in Hupeh where it shows a slight vari- 
ation from the typical form, the leaves being rather thinner and usually longer. 
In No. 1196* the corolla is slightly pubescent on the outer surface. Hemsley & 
Wilson reduced this species to R. concinnum Hemsley, which has, however, a dif- 
ferent shaped corolla and usually hairy style. 
We think it best to keep the two as distinct species, though their relationship is 
very close. Much confusion has already arisen in regard to this species, as the 
synonyms show. In the fruiting stage it is very difficult to distinguish it from R. 
ambiguum Hemsley which has, however, usually stouter capsules and leaves more 
glaucescent below. 
Rhododendron yanthinum, var. lepidanthum Rehder & Wilson, n. 
var. 
A typo recedit corolla extus sparse basim versus densius albido- 
villosa et flavo-lepidota atropurpurea, calyce densissime flavo-lepidoto. 
Western Szech'uan: west and near Wén-ch’uan Hsien, thickets, 
alt. 2500 m. July 1908 (No. 3419, type); west of Kuan Hsien, Pan- 
lan-shan, margins of woods, alt. 2600-3000 m., October 1910 (Nos. 
4041, 4241, in part). —— 
This variety is distinguished from the type by the markedly villose outer surface 
of the corolla and by the deeper colored, handsomer flowers. We at first thought 
a distinct species until we found amongst the typical R. yanthinum Franchet a 
specimen having the corolla very sparsely pubescent on the outer surface. à 
This variety is local but fairly common throughout the regions mentioned above. 
Rhododendron bracteatum Rehder & Wilson, n. sp. : 
Frutex 1-2-metralis; ramuli graciles, hornotini purpurei, sparse 
lepidoti, annotini brunnei, vetustiores fusco-cinerei v. flavido-cinerei; 
gemmae floriferae globoso-ovoideae, perulis paucis rotundatis mucro- 
