flowering after an unusually brief period, for some of the 
plants raised in 1909 produced blossoms in 1913. Cer- 
tainly one of the most distinct of the new Chinese 
Rhododendrons, #. Souliei falls within that group of the 
section Lurhododendron in which the leaves are glabrous 
and have no glands. Within this group it may be at once 
recognised by its long-petioled wide-based leaves, its 
well-defined calyx-lobes edged with red glands, and its 
flat saucer-shaped flowers. At Kew it has thriven well 
in a semi-shaded position and is of low, bushy habit. 
Drscription.—Shrul ; branches stout, glabrous; young 
twigs terete, purplish-pink, beset with red-stalked glands. 
Leaves scattered, long-petioled, oblong or oblong-elliptic, 
apex rounded and mucronate, base rounded or cordate, 
15-3 in. long, 3-14 in. wide, entire, coriaceous, dark 
green above, pale green or sometimes glaucous beneath, 
finely reticulate, glabrous, glandular; lateral nerves 5-8 
along each side of the midrib, sunk above, visible 
beneath, much branched ; petiole 3-1 in. long, about 
x in. thick, purplish near the base, glabrous. Flowers in 
terminal, loose clusters, each about 8-flowered; rosy-red in 
bud, white with a rosy flush when fully open. Bud-scales 
narrow-linear, over 4 in. long, glandular-puberulous ; 
pedicels 15-2 in. long, !; in. thick, terete, purple and | 
green, sparingly finely glandular. Caly« 5-lobed ; lobes 
unequal, the anterior wide-ovate, 1-1 in. long and broad, 
the others oblong-elliptic, with rounded or truncate tips, 
475 in. long, 5-1 in. wide, red-glandular outside, and 
with a glandular-ciliate margin. Curolla flat-campanu- 
late, 5-6-lobed ; tube 3 in. long, striate, glabrous on both 
sides ; lobes rounded, emarginate, 3 in. across. Stamens 
usually 11, exserted; filaments glabrous or very finely 
puberulous; anthers brown, {, in. long. Disk lobate, 
green, glabrous. Ovary 5-7-celled, oblong-ovoid, } in. 
long, 4 in. wide at the base, clothed with bright-red 
stalked glands ; each cell divided by the placentas into 
two chambers; style rather longer than the stamens, 
stout, beset with short-stalked red glands. 
Fig. 1, part of leaf showing venation; 2, cal istil ; mens ; 
’ : ; 2, calyx and pistil; 8 and 4, stamens; 
5, ovary ; 6, transverse section of the same —all ildoaek: 
