Ift75 



AZALEA Seymouri. 



Garden Variety. 



Rhododendron Seymouri. i 



Mater ; Rhododendron Rhodora (Rhodora Canndensis).> Herbert MSS. 



Pater; Rhododendron hiteum (Azalea Pontica). ) 



" A great number of plants were raised some years ago 

 at Spofforth from Rhodora Canadensis, impregnated with 

 the pollen of Azalea Pontica. Their constitution seemed 

 ticklish, or the peat in wliich they were grown disagreed 

 with them, and only one plant was preserved, wliich formed 

 a healthy low bush, more spreading tlian Rhodora. Its 

 leaves are produced early in the spring, and last year they 

 were very much damaged by a severe frost in April. It 

 pushed afresh afterwards vigorously, and formed two flower- 

 ing buds. On the approach of spring, to avoid any danger 

 of damage to the blossom by frost, the plant was potted, and 

 placed in an airy greenhouse. The leaves pushed long- 

 before tlie flower buds began to move and completely clotlied 

 the plant before their expansion, contrary to the habit of 

 Rhodora. The flowers expanded at the latter end of March, 

 r>\ the palest yellow, the number of stamens being irregular, 

 seven, or nine in tlie first that opened. I have at this moment 

 before me an umbel of a genuine Azalea Pontica, of which 

 two flowers have seven, and two six, stamens; shewing clearly 

 that tlie deficiency of the five stamens of inferior power in 

 the Azaleas is not a generic distinction, but an imperfection. 

 It is observable tliat crosses between the genuine and the 

 Azaleaform sections of Rhododendron generally have seven 

 or nine stamens, like the Indian Azalea, which forms an in- 

 termediate section both as to leaf and flower. Some cross-bred 

 plants, between Rhododendron Ponticum and Azalea Pontica, 

 raised from seed obtained the same season at Spofforth, hav- 



