Tas. 7686. 
RHODODENDRON wmopzstum. 
Native of the Sikkim Himalaya. 
Nat. Ord. Ertcace®.—Tribe RHoDORE. 
Genus Ruopopenpron, Linn.; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 599.) 
RHODODENDRON (Eurhododendron) modestum; frutex glaberrimus, ramulis 
erectis foliosis, foliis 2-3-pollicaribus breviter petiolatis oblongis acutis 
apiculatis basi acutis cuneatisve coriaceis, supra saturate viridibus sparsim 
glanduloso-puberulis, subtus fulvo-viridibus lepidotis, nervis utrinque 
costee 8-10 supra inconspicuis subtus vix prominulis costa subtus valida in 
mucronem obtusum producta, gemmis floriferis basi foliatis pauci- 
bracteatis, floribus 6-10 laxe umbellatis pendulis, pedicellis ad 3$-poll. 
longis calyceque lepidotis, calycis segmentis inequilongis oblongis aris- 
tato-acuminatis posticis }-poll. longis, anticis fere duplo brevioribus, 
corolla infundibulari 5-loba pallide rosea, lobis rotundatis tubo paullo 
brevioribus 3 posticis sanguineo maculatis, staminibus 10 corolla paullo 
brevioribus subdeclinatis, filamentis basin versus villosis, antheris brun- 
neis, stylo declinato stigmate clavato truncato. 
R. modestum is a singularly beautiful addition to the 
list, of about thirty species, of Sikkim Himalayan Rhodo- 
dendrons now described. Though not nearly allied to 
any of those known to me, it is perhaps most nearly to 
LR. cviliatum, which differs in being very hairy, in its more 
erect flowers, campanulate corolla, and its sub-equal, 
obtuse calyx-segments. These latter in R. modestum are 
very unequal, and all aristulate, a character which I have 
not seen in any other Sikkim species. It is also remark- 
able for the brilliant spotting of the dorsal half of the 
corolla, which coloration is, from the drooping habit of 
the flower, exposed to the eye, and is very effective. Its 
exact habitat is not known. It came up amongst seedlings 
raised from a packet of seeds of Sikkim Rhododendrons 
(ticketed R. pendulum, a totally different plant), which was 
sent from the Royal Gardens of Calcutta to Kew by Sir 
George King in 1887. It flowered for the first time in 
May of this year, in the Himalayan wing of the Temperate 
House. 
Deser.—A small, glabrous, much-branched, leafy shrub, 
bark of old branches brown, of young green sparsely 
NovemsBer lst, 1899. 
