Tas. 4726. 
AZALEA CRISPIFLORA. 
Crisped-flowered Azalea. 
Nat. Ord. Ericea.—Perentanpria Monoeynia. 
Gen. Char. Calyx 5-partitus. Corolla infundibuliformis, irregularis, 5-loba. 
Stamina 5, cum corolla non concreta. Anthere apice biporose. Stylus elongatus, 
cum staminibus exsertus, apice non sensim incrassatus.—Omnia ideo Rhododendri, 
sed flores constanter et regulariter pentandri et folia decidua. De Cand. 
AZALEA crispiflora ; foliis obovato-lanceolatis acutis brevissime petiolatis utrin- 
que margineque villosulis, floribus terminalibus solitariis pedunculatis, pe- 
dunculis brevibus bracteatis, calycis foliolis oblongis obtusis villosis, corollz 
(pulcherrime rosez) tubo infundibuliformi-campanulato, lobis amplis rotun- 
datis patentibus undulato-crispatis, staminibus vix exsertis, ovario hispidis- 
simo. 
One of the many fine and showy plants introduced by Mr. 
Fortune from China. I am quite aware of the difficulty of de- 
termining whether a Chinese garden-plant, long in cultivation 
with the natives, ought to be considered new, however different 
from any known kind, or only a variety, or, still more probably, 
a hybrid. On this point I must leave others to decide, only ob- 
serving that to me it appears to have, in its large and very crisped 
flowers, in the nature of the calyx, in the coloured bracts sur- 
rounding the base of the solitary flower-stalk, and the hispid 
ovary, sufficient characters to warrant its being considered a new 
and distinct species. Certain it is that the size and beauty of the 
flowers render it worthy of a place in every collection. It re- 
quires to be treated as a greenhouse plant ; and with Messrs. 
Standish and Noble (Bagshot Nursery), to whom we are indebted 
for the specimen, its flowering season is April. 
Drscr. A moderate-sized shrub, rather copiously branched, the 
branches often subverticillate, woody, dark-brown, clothed with 
appressed chaffy hairs, most abundant on the young branches. 
Leaves alternate, about an inch and a half long, submembra- 
naceous, patent, obovato-oblong or sublanceolate, acute, entire, 
JULY Ist, 1853, 
