Andromeda formosa by Wallich, for Wallich’s plant has 
several ovules in each cell of the ovary, whereas the plant 
of the Illustration Horticole according to the description 
and the figure has only one ovule in each cell. Apart from 
this there is no reason to question the identity of thetwo. In 
the Genera Plantarum Pieris formosa is placed in the section 
Portuna, which is characterised as follows :—Sepals valvate 
in bud, coriaceous; seeds almost all pendulous, sometimes 
winged ; leaves coriaceous, serrate ; racemes simple, axillary, 
or paniculate at the ends of the branches; bracts and 
bracteoles caducous. The same section includes P. japonica, 
D. Don, and P. floribunda, Benth. et Hook. f. (Andromeda 
floribunda, Pursh), both of which are much smaller in 
stature, with smaller leaves and inflorescences. 
P. formosa is a native of the Eastern Himalaya, from 
Nepal to Bhotan, at elevations of from 6000 to 10,000 ft., of 
the Ghombunda Hills in Assam, and of Manipur. It has 
also been recorded from Yunnan in South-west China, and 
specimens of apparently the same species have been collected 
in Hupeh, Central China, by Henry. At Kew this shrub 
appears to be capable of withstanding all but the severest 
frosts. An old plant was cut to the ground in February, 
1895, but afterwards sprang up again, and survived the 
winter of 1908-9 without injury. At the same time it 
certainly prefers warmer conditions, especially in spring, 
and is seen-at its best as it grows in gardens in the south- 
western parts of England; at Pentillie Castie, for example, 
there is a specimen 20 ft. high and 30 ft. through. The 
plant from which the figure now given has been prepared 
was raised from seed sent from the Royal Botanic Garden, 
Calcutta, in 1902; this plant, although only about 4 ft. high, 
flowered profusely in May, 1908. Like most of its allies, 
P. formosa prefers a peaty soil, but will, nevertheless, thrive 
excellently in a warm, open loam, free from calcareous 
matter, In a position where it is not liable to suffer from 
dryness at the root. Seeds afford the best means of 
increase. 
Descriprion.—Shrub or small tree, reaching 20 ft. in 
height, old branches with somewhat peeling bark, twigs 
glabrous. Leaves somewhat clustered at the ends of the 
twigs, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, 2-5 
