Tas. 8280. 
RHODODENDRON coompense. 
China. 3 
Ertcaccak. Tribe RHODODENDREAE. 
Ee RHODODENDRON, Linn.; Benth, et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 599. 
Rhododendron coombense, Hemsl.; species nova ex affinitate R. concinni, 
_ _Hemsl., a quo differt calycis lobis parvis haud ciliatis et stylo infra medium 
-pilosulo. 
Frutex nanus, dense ramosus, ramis floriferis graciliusculis lepidotis. Folia 
sparsa internodiis quam petiolis saepius paulo longioribus, persistentia, 
coriacea, oblongo-lanceolata, cum petiolo 3-4 mm. longo 3-4 em. longa, 
apiculata, basi cuneata vel subrotundata, primum utrinque lepidota, supra 
demum glabrescentia, subtus densissime lepidota, inter lepides pallida, 
3 venis immersis inconspicuis. Flores 3-4 cm. diametro, 3-5 in ramulorum 
are ’  apicibus aggregati, pedicellis gracilibus 0°5-1 cm. longis dense lepidotis. 
bg Calycis lobis brevissimis rotundatis. Corolfa late campanulata, pallide 
purpurea, lobis ovatis obtusis leviter recurvis. Stamina 10, alterna 
breviora, longiora corollam haud excedentia; filamenta filiformia, infra 
medium barbata. Ovariwm 5-loculare, densissime lepidotum, stylo curvato 
stamina paulo excedente infra medium pilosulo.—W. B. Hems.ey. 
The group of Rhododendrons to which &. concinnum, 
Hemsl., and the form here figured belong, includes a 
considerable number of very closely allied plants, and 
Mr. Hemsley explains that in proposing a distinctive name 
for the subject of our plate he does so with the object of 
avoiding possible confusion rather than for the purpose of 
expressing a conviction that FR. coombense deserves to rank 
as a species. Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, who in 1907 
communicated the flowering specimens of Lf. coombense 
here made use of, have raised a large number of forms 
from seed collected by Mr. E. H. Wilson in China. Most 
of these forms it has been possible to match with the 
herbarium specimens prepared by the same collector ; there 
are, however, others of which Mr. Wilson, when gathering 
the seeds, could obtain no flowering specimens. A com- 
prehensive study of the whole material thus acquired is 
necessary in order to lead to a better knowledge of the 
extent to which seminal variation occurs, and to some 
: Oocroser, 1909. 
