Tas. 7503. 
RHODODENDRON szmEprpPyLuLiFfotiom. 
Native of Japan. 
Nat. Ord. Ericacrm.—Tribe Ruoporea. 
Genus RHopopEnpRoN, Linn. ; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 599.) 
RHODODENDRON (Tsusia) serpyllifolium ; fruticulus humilis, erectus, microphyl- 
lus, caule robusto, ramis ramulisque rigidis strigoso-setosis, foliis 3-} poll. 
longis ramulis brevissimis confertis et quasi verticillatis obovatis obtusis 
setulosis eglandulosis et elepidotis, gemmis floriferis terminalibus aphyllis 
1-floris, bracteis oblongis scariosis fulvis, floribus breviter pedicellatis, 
pedicellis paleis lanceolatis hyalinis argenteis opertis, calyce patelleformi 
5-lobo, lobis rotundatis ciliatis, corolla infundibulari-rotata intus glaber- 
rima, lobis ovato-oblongis obtusis, staminibus 5, filamentis exsertis infra 
medium glanduloso-puberulis, antheris parvis, ovario oblongo paleis 
at tea linearibusve integris v. fissis argenteo-hyalinis vestitis 5- 
oculare. . 
R. serpyllifolium, Mig. in Ann. Mus. Bot. Iugd. Bat. vol. ii. p. 165 (Prolus 
Fi. Japon. p. 97). Mamimov. Rhod. As. Or. p. 42, t. 4, fig. 18-25 (ex Mem. 
Acad, Se. Petersb. Ser. 7, vol. xvi. (1870) No. 9). Franch. & Sav. Enum. 
Pl. Japon. vol. ii. p. 292. 
Azalea? serpyllifolia, A. Gray in Perry Exped. Japan, vol. ii. p. 315; in 
Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts. § Se. N.S. vol. vi. I. (1857) p. 399. Mast. in 
Gard, Chron. (1882) vol. i. p. 429. 
With the exception of the little high-alpine Rhododendron 
nivale of Sikkim, R. serpyllifolium is perhaps the most 
inconspicuous species of the genus. Specifically it is 
closely allied to R. indicum, and especially to the var. 
amenum (Azalea amena, tab. 4728), which is a much 
larger species, and has the youngest leaves clothed 
with silvery hyaline sete like those on the pedicel and 
ovary of R&R. serpyllifolium. Indeed I should not be sur- 
prised if the latter proved to be a very dwarf form of 
ft. indicum. The specimens described by A. Gray were 
from a plant cultivated at Simoda, which is the sole 
habitat given for it by Maximovicz, who describes the 
flower as pale lilac. Moseley, during the Challenger Expe- 
dition, collected it in 1875 at Kobe (near Hiogo, on the 
Inland sea), 
The figure in the Gardener’s Chronicle is from a plant 
cultivated in Veitch’s establishment, and is described as 
November Ist, 1893. 
