Tab. 8643. 



RHODODENDRON erubescens. 



Western China. 



Ericaceae. Tribe Rhodoreae. 

 Rhododendron, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 599. 



Rhododendron (§ Eurhododendron) erubescens, Hutchinson ; species nova, 

 affinis B. Fargesii, Franch., sed foliis conspicue reticulatis, filaruentis 

 dense pubescentibus differt. 



Frutex; ramuli strieti, cortice purpureo glabro obtecti. Folia oblongo-elliptica, 

 apice obtuse et abrupte mucronata, basi obtusa vel rotundata, 8-10 cm! 

 longa, 3-4 cm. lata, rigide coriacea, supra atro-viridia, impresso-reticulata,' 

 infra flavo-viridia, minute papillosa, eglandulosa ; costa media supra 

 leviter impressa, infra prominens, apicem laminae versus sensim angustata ; 

 nervi laterales utrinsecus circiter 12, pergraciles, flexuosi, supra leviter 

 impressi mfra vix prominentes ; veni infra graciliter reticulati ; petioli 

 robusti, 2 cm. longi, supra canalicular, carmineo-purpurei, sicco transverse 

 verrucosi, glabri. Flores terminales, circiter 8-nati ; pedicelli 1-1-4 cm. 

 longi, breviter sed dense papilloso-glandulosi. Bracteae extra adpresse 

 villosae. Calyx parvus, 5-lobus, lobis inaequalibus ovato-rotundatis ad 

 2 mm. longis papilloso-glandulosis. Corolla intus alba, extra roseo- 

 carminea ; tubus late turbinatus, circiter 3 cm. longus, apice circiter 

 2-5 cm. diametro, intus basin versus minute puberulus; limbus5-5cm. 

 expansus, 7-lobus, lobis patulo-recurvatis semiorbicularibus emarginatis 

 1-3 cm. longis et latis. Stamina inclusa, 12-14; filament® ad 2 cm. 

 longa, inferne dense pubescentia; antherae purpureae, 2-5 mm. longae. 

 Ovarium glandulis albis stipitatis ornatum, plerumque 6-loculare, 5 mm. 

 longum; stylus exsertus, glaber, 3 cm. longus, stigmate viscido pallide 

 navo 2 ' 5 mm. lato coronatus.— J. Hutchinson. 



The beautiful Chinese Rhododendron now figured is 

 one of a group of some forty closely allied species 

 belonging to the section Eurhododendron, all of them 

 characterised by their glabrous and eglandular leaves. 

 Several other Chinese members of this group are now in 

 cultivation, the more notable being R. Fortune!, Lindl., 



g « re o d o at *• 5596 and B ' Souliei > branch., figured at 

 t. 8622 of this work; in our collections may also be 

 found R. discolor, Franch., R. Farqesii, Franch., and 

 R. orbiculare^ Franch. The nearest affinity of R. erubescens 

 is with R. Fargesii ; from that species our plant appears 

 to differ mainly in the more distinctly reticulate leaves 

 and in having hairy filaments, those of R. Fargesii being 

 quite glabrous. The material for our plate has been 



January, 1916. 



