margins of woods fully exposed to the sun. In such 
situations it is one of the earliest species to open its 
flowers ; it varies considerably, Wilson reports, in the 
size and texture of its leaves and the number of the, 
flowers and stamens. The species was first raised by 
Messrs. Veitch in their Coombe Wood nursery from seeds 
sent by Wilson from Szechuan in 1904. It was raised 
again from seeds, also collected by Wilson, sent to Kew 
early in 1909 from the Arnold Arboretum, and the 
material for the figure now given has been obtained 
from one of the plants of this second introduction. One 
of the most distinct of the Chinese lepidote-leaved 
Rhododendrons, /. /utescens is readily recognised by the 
long-acuminate lanceolate leaves, the axillary yellow 
flowers and especially by the stamens, some of which 
are quite glabrous towards the base, while others in the 
“same flower are densely villous. Notwithstanding its 
variability in the wild state, /. lutescens in cultivation 
has proved one of the most constant in its characters 
and most distinctive in its habit. Save for risk from 
late frosts LF. lutescens is hardy at Kew, where it grows 
freely in peaty soil or in sandy loam. ate 
‘ 
Descrrerion.—Shrub, 6-8 ft. high, somewhat fastigiate in habit, with the 
purplish-brown branches and twigs which are sparingly black-lepidote in their 
first season, all ascending. Leaves lax, wide lanceolate or almost ovate- 
lanceolate, acutely gradually acuminate, base bluntly cuneate, 2-3 in. long, 
2-1 in. wide, green, usually with reddish margins, polished above and sparsely 
lepidote, paler beneath and rather laxly lepidote with the golden yellow unequal 
scales sometimes deciduous; midrib sunk above, raised beneath, hardly lepi- 
dote ; lateral nerves about six on each side the midrib, inconspicuous, flexuous ; 
petiole about } in. long, brown, sparsely lepidote. Flowers axillary, usually 
solitary, clustered towards the tips of the flowering-shoots ; bud-seales brown, 
almost membranous, lepidote outside, acutely and abruptly acuminate, finely 
puberulous on the margin and within; pedicels about } in. long, lepidote. 
Calyx very short, undulately lobed, densely lepidote outside. Corolla in- 
distinctly 2-lipped, yellow or greenish-yellow, punctate with pale green spots 
within the tube behind ; tube open, over } in. long, sparingly lepidote outside, 
stoutly pubescent within; lobes 5, unequal, ovate, up to } in. long, sparingly 
lepidote outside. Stamens 10, declinate, far exserted, very unequal, the 4 upper 
filaments shorter than the rest and densely villous just above the base, the 
6 lower much longer and glabrous ; anthers golden-yellow, +4 in. long. Ovary 
5-celled, densely lepidote ; style curved, pale green, glabrous, slightly larger 
than the lower stamens, crowned by the lobulate viscid stigma. _ 
Tas. 8851.—Fig. 1, apex of a leaf; 2, portion of leaf showing margin; 8, a 
flower, the corolla removed; 4, calyx and ovary; 5, lower stamen; 6, upper 
stamen ;—all enlarged. 
