Rhododendron maximum^ 



THE AMERICAN ROSE BAY-TREE 



Synonymes. 



Rhododendron maximum, 



Rhododendron maximum, Rhododendron 



d'Amerique, 

 Gnisster Alpbalsam, 

 American Rose Bay-tree, 

 Rose Bay -tree, Dwarf Rose Bay-tree, 



' LiNN^us, Species Plantarum. 

 MicHAux, North American Sylva. 

 Don, Miller's Dictionary. 

 Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum. 



France. 



Germany. 

 Britain. 

 United States. 



Demation. The specific name maximum is derived from the Latin magnus, great, and signifies " the largest;" in reference 

 to the laige size of this tree when compared with the minor species of this genus. 



Engravings. Michaux, North American Sylva, pi. 67; Audubon, Birds of America, ii., pi. ciii. ; Loudon, Arboretum Bri- 

 tannicum, ii., fig. 932; and llie figures below. 



Specific Characters. Arborescent. Leaves elliptic-oblong, acute, convex, bluntish at the base, whitish or 

 rusty beneath, glabrous. Calycine segments oval-obtuse. Segments of corolla roundish. Flowers 

 pale- red, in umbellate corymbs, studded with green, yellow, or purple protuberances. Don, 31iller's 

 Diet. 



Description. 



" Pleased with their toil, the healers sought the cell, 

 Where Rhododendron, like some drooping maid, 

 Timid and beauteous, hides its golden locks; 

 Or lur'd her statelier sister's aid, to bribe 

 Relentless Chronic Rheumatism to loose 

 The rigid sinew." 



Traits op the Aborioines. 



;HE Rhododendron max- 

 imum generally presents 

 itself in the form of a 

 "^^ shrub, less than ten feet 

 high ; but it sometimes attains a height of twenty 

 or twenty-five feet, with a stem four or five 

 inches in diameter. When the leaves are begin- 

 ning to unfold themselves they are rose-coloured, 

 and are covered with a reddish down. When 

 fully expanded, they are smooth, five or six 

 inches long, of an elongated-oval form, and of a 

 thick, coriaceous texture. Although the tree is 

 evergreen, it renews its leaves once in three or 



four years. It puts forth flowers from June till August, which are commonly 

 rose-coloured, with yellow dots on the inside, and sometimes they are perfectly 

 white. They always occur at the extremity of the branches in beautiful groups, 

 which derive additional lustre from the foliage that surrounds them. The seeds 

 are extremely minute, and are contained in capsules which open in autnmn, for 

 their escape. 



Varieties. The varieties recognized in this species are as follows : 



1. R. M. ALBUM, Loudon. Wkite-Jioivered Rose Bay-tree, with pure white 

 flowers, and is comparatively rare. 



2. R. M. HYBRiDUM, Loudou. Hybrid Rose Bay-tree, supposed to have been 

 produced by fertilizing the common white glaucous-leaved Azalea with the pol- 



