TAB, 8312. 
RHODODENDRON tacreum. 
————~ 
Western China. 
' Ericackak. Tribe RHODOREAE. 
Ruopopenvkron, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 599. 
Rhododendron (Eurhododendron) lacteum, Franch. in Bull. Soc, Bot. France, 
vol. xxxiii. (1886), p. 231; Hemsl. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vol. xxvi. p. 26 ; 
species ex aflinitate 2. Falconeri, Hook. f., a quo differt foliis minoribus 
basi haud cordatis haud subtus conspicue grosse reticulatis, floribus 
majoribus et staminibus longioribus subexsertis; etiam foliis iis 
R. Wightii, Hook. f., simillimis sed floribus omnino diversis. 
Arbor gregaria (Delavay), ramis floriferis crassis rigidis primum tomentosis. 
Folia in apicibus ramorum conferta, petiolata, coriacea, rigida ; lamina 
oblongo-lanceolata, 15-20 em. longa, 6-8 em. lata, apice rotundata cum 
mucronulo, basi rotundata vel subcuneata, supra glabra, subtus densissime 
ferrugineo-tomentosa, costa crassa subtus elevata, venis primariis utrinque 
circiter 15 subtus sat conspicuis; petiolus crassissimus 2-3 cm. longus. 
Corymbi densi, subsessiles, multiflori, 14-18 cm. diametro; bracteae 
(exteriores non visae) obovato-oblongae, 2-3 em. longae, rotundatae, 
pubescentes ; pedicelli tomentosi, 2°5-3°5 em. longi. Flores albi, intus 
in parte superiore tubi sanguinei, 6-7 em. diametro, ad pedicellum oblique 
affixum. Calyx brevissimus, obscure lobatus. Corol/a late campanulata, 
sacpius 8-lobata, lobis brevibus rotundatis emarginatis late imbricatis 
recurvis. Stamina plerumque 16, declinata, inaequalia, longiora corollam 
aequantia, filamenta filiformia, infra medium puberula; antherae brunneo- 
purpureae. Ovuriwm oblongum, fere 1 cm. longum, densissime furfuraeeo- 
tomentosum, 8-loculare, luculis multiovulatis; stylus glaber, stamina 
paullo superans. Capsu/a non visa.—W. Borrine HEMSLEY. 
The handsome Rhododendron here figured is one of a 
number of species raised in the Jardin des Plantes from 
seeds sent to Paris by the late Abbé Delavay. A set of 
these plants was presented to Kew in 1888, and the first 
to flower was LR. scabrifolium, Franch., figured at t. 7159 
of this work in 1891, followed by R. racemosum, Franch., 
figured at t. 7301 in 1893, and by &. irroratum, Franch., 
given at t. 7361 in 1894. These three are comparatively 
small shrubs which mature early, and it was not till 1904 
that another member of the set, R. Delavayi, Franch., 
similar in habit to the well-known &. arboreum, Sm., 
May, 1911. 
