the fine truss shown in our plate was borne by a plant, m 
the Coombe Wood Nursery, which was less than 2 feet in 
height. The flowers open early in March, so that they run 
considerable risk of damage by frost. It will therefore be 
advisable to select for this species, which otherwise is 
hardy, a position shaded from the early morning sun. In 
other respects its treatment should be that given to most 
Rhododendrons. This species was originally described 
from specimens collected in Szechuan. All those in the | 
herbarium at Kew come, however, from Western Hupeh. 
Description.— Shrub, 8-10 ft. high, free from scales and 
nearly glabrous, flowering twigs straight, thick, occasionally 
more or less tomentose at first. Leaves numerous, clustered 
at the ends of the twigs, long-petioled, thick and leathery 
when full grown, glabrous or sometimes tomentose on the 
midrib beneath ; oblanceolate-oblong, from 3-10, but usually 
about 6 in. long, narrowed to the base, usually rounded at 
the tip, the uppermost smaller and occasionally acute, deep 
green above, pale beneath ; midrib very stout, prominent 
beneath; lateral main veins numerous and rather pro- 
minent ; reticulation fine; petiole stout, occasionally almost 
corky, 2-13 in. long. lowers densely corymbose, about 
3 in. across, bud scales variable, silky ; corymbs almost 
sessile, up to 8 in. wide; pedicels 3-3 in. long. Calyx 
small or almost obsolete, faintly lobed, glabrous. Corolla 
wide campanulate, with 5 broad rounded emarginate lobes, 
rose-coloured and marked behind on the inside with darker 
spots, puberulous towards the base. Stamens 13-15, decli- 
nate, shorter than the corolla; filaments filiform, hairy 
below the middle; anthers almost black. Ovary 12-locular, 
glabrous, naked; style glabrous, declinate, hardly longer 
than the stamens; stigma bright red. Capsule woody, 
oblong, about 1 in. long, tipped by the hardened style. 
Fig. 1, portion of under-surface of a leaf; 2-5, bracts of the inflorescence ; 
6, calyx and pistil; 7 and 8, stamens ; 9, transverse section of ovary :-— 
all enlarged. 
