Tab. 5387. 



RHODODENDRON Batemani. 



Mr. Bateman s Rhododendron. 



Nat. Orel. Ericaceae. — Decandria Monogynia. 

 Gen. Char. (Fide supra, Tab. 4336.) 



Rhododendron Batemani; ramulis robustis tomentosis, foliis elliptico-oblongis 

 oblongo-lanceolatisve subacutis basi obtusis acutisve supra glabris opacis 

 subtus petioloque robusto tenuiter ferrugineo- v. ochreo-tomentellis, capitulis 

 dense sub-ll-20-floris, calyce parvo cupulari insequaliter 5-dentato, corolla 

 carapanulata 5-loba, lobis patentibus undulatis, staraiaibus 10, ovario 

 tomentoso 10-loculari. 



This noble plant is one of the many fine discoveries of 

 Mr. Booth, in the Bhotan Himalaya, and was sent by him to his 

 relative the late T. Nuttall, Esq., of Nutgrove, Cheshire. From 

 his hands it passed into those of James Bateman, Esq., E.L.S., 

 of Knypersley Hall, Staffordshire. Mr. Bateman having flowered 

 it in the early spring of the present year, liberally presented the 

 plant to the Royal Gardens of Kew, where it is now growing in 

 the new Winter Garden. As a species, it resembles B. campanu- 

 latum (Tab. Nostr. 3759) in certain respects, attaining about the 

 same stature, and having the leaves clothed below with similar 

 ochreous tomentum ; but the whole habit is far more robust, 

 the foliage larger, and much longer and narrower, the stout 

 branches tomentose ; the flowers are of a very different colour, 

 and it further differs essentially in the ten-celled ovary. 



Descr. A robust shrub four to five feet high at the period of 

 its first flowering in this country. Branches as thick as the little 

 finger. Branc/dets rather loosely clothed with pale-rusty wool. 

 Leaves spreading, very coriaceous, on short, stout, tomentose 

 petioles, elliptic- or lanceolate-oblong, subacute, margins rather 

 recurved, four to eight inches long, very opaque above, below 

 laxly clothed with thin ochreous or rusty-brown soft tomentum 

 of stellate hairs, blunt at the base, or narrowed into the petiole. 

 july 1st, 1863. 



