5a' 



NOTRS ON INDIGENOUS TREES AND SHRUBS. 



dots; flowers in umbellate corymbs ; seg- 

 ments of cnly.x short, obtuse ; corolla fuimcl- 

 shaped ; lobes ovnte ; flowers purple, or 

 britrht pink, sometimes nearly white in 

 shaded situations ; throat punctate, with 

 {jrcen spots ; capsule elongate ; shrub much 

 branched, 6 -10 feet high. Flowers May 

 -June. 



This is one of the most sliowy of our Rho- 

 dodendrons, equalling if not surpassing the 

 Rhododendron maximum, which is so highly 

 prized by many florists. We first saw it at 

 " Caesar's Head," on our route from Ashe- 

 ville, in North Carolina, to Table Mountain 

 in Pickens county, in South Carolina. 

 " Caesar's Head" is at the summit of the 

 Blue Ridge, near the line between the two 

 above mentioned States. From this place 

 there is one of the finest views in the United 

 States. The beautiful little valley of the 

 Saluda lies far beneath, beyond which, at 

 the distance of three or four miles,' uprises 

 the wonderful Table Mountain to the height 

 of between 4000 and 5000 feet, with its 

 perpendicular granitic sides. We again 

 found the R. punctatum, with its gay purple 

 and scarlet flowers, on and near the base of 

 Table Mountain, the ascent of which is ef- 

 fected but at one place, and then is not 

 accomplished without the aid of artificial 

 stairs, which are fastened by means of iron 

 bolts drilled into the solid granite. We 

 also saw it in great abundance in Haber- 

 sham and Rabun counties, in Georgia, on 

 the banks of streams, especially near the falls 

 of Tuccoa and Fullulah, but it disappeared, 

 on re-entering the State of North Carolina, 

 near the head waters of the Tennessee and 

 Savannah rivers. Subsequently we saw it 

 in the greatest abundance at the falls of 

 Linville river, and at the Table Mountain 

 of Burke county. North Carolina. We 

 found it in cultivation in the garden of Mr. 



Baring, at Flat Rock, Henderson count}', 

 N. C. It is cultivated in England, where 

 it was introduced from this country, in the 

 year 1786. 



RIIODODEXDUON CATAWBIFA'SE. Laiml 

 MicHAfx, Fl. p. 258. 



Leaves short oval, round obtuse, pale be- 

 neath, smooth ; flowers in terminal corym- 

 bose umbels ; seg:ments of the calyx oblong- 

 elongate ; corolla campanulate ; flowers 

 purple. Shrub 3-5 feet high ; flowers 

 June -July. Resembles R. maximum, but 

 is different from it in the narrower and 

 longer segments of its calyx and its obtuse 

 and shorter leaves. On the lofty moun- 

 tains of the northwest portion of North Ca- 

 rolina, it is often found accompanying the 

 Rhododendron maximum, from Avhich it 

 would not be distinguished by an ordinary 

 observer. The top of the Roan Mountain, 

 of Yancey county, one of the highest in the 

 State, (6038 feet) about the middle of June, 

 or a few days previous, assumes a gay and 

 beautiful appearance, from scattered groups 

 of the then flowering Rhododendron cataw- 

 biense upon its grassy and prairie-like sum- 

 mit. 



Pursh has described three varieties of 

 Rhododendron maximum. The first va- 

 riety, roseum, he distinguishes as having 

 leaves oblong elliptical, convex, obtuse at 

 the base; beneath whitish or ferruginous; 

 segments of the corolla subrotund ; style 

 longer than the stamens ; flowers rose-white. 

 Second variety, album, has leaves cuneate 

 lanceolate, plane, almost acute at the base, 

 pale beneath ; segments of corolla rotund 

 oblong ; style scarcely longer than the sta- 

 mens ; flowers small, w-hite. This has been 

 made a distinct species, R. Purshii, by'G. 

 Don, in Gen. Syst. 3, p. 843, ex Decandolle, 

 vol. 7, p. 723. 



Third variety, purpurmm, very tall ; 

 leaves large, oblong elliptical, plane and ob- 



