1923] WILSON, THE RHODODENDRONS OF NORTHEASTERN ASIA 37 



type. This is the form that is so widely spread in Japan and such a 

 feature of the woodlands on the mountains of central Hondo as far north 

 as the Nikko region. The scales of the winter-buds are clothed with 

 yellow- to red-brown curled hairs. The leaves vary in size and the 

 tomentum may be light- to rufous-gray and either loose or compact in 

 texture, this being somewhat dependent on age and exposure. The flowers 

 vary considerably in size and in color from pale- to rose-pink. I have a 

 co-type of R. Nakaii Komatsu collected on Shirane-san in the Nikko 

 region. It has unusually long petioles and small pale-colored flowers 

 but I do not think it has any claim to a distinct name even as a form. 



According to Nicholson R. Metternichii was introduced into Eng- 

 land in 1870; Mangles writing in the Gardeners' Chronicle, 1882, speaks 

 of it being grown in France and England and tells of receiving the pen- 

 tamerous form from Luscombe. The story is not very clear and it seems 

 strange that the species should be so little known in England today. 

 Into America, this Rhododendron was first introduced by Professor 

 Sargent who sent seeds from the Nikko region in the autumn of 1892, 

 some of these were sent to England. In the Arnold Arboretum it lias 

 grown well and proved perfectly hardy and flowers freely. With R. brachy- 

 carpum D. Don it promises with us to be the most satisfactory of the broad- 

 leaf evergreen Rhododendrons of eastern Asia. In England where there 

 is such great variety to choose from, these Japanese species may be thought 

 lightly of but in eastern North America they are extremely valuable hardy 

 plants. 



Rhododendron Metternichii var. angustifolium Bean, Trees & Shrubs 



Brit. Isl. ii. 368 (1914). 



Rhododendron Metternichii /3. pentamerum f. angustifolia Makino in Tokyo 



Bot. Mag. x. 212 (1896). 

 Rhododendron Hymenanthes f. angustifolium Makino in Tokyo Bot. Mag. 



xvi. 33 (1902).— Matsumura, Ind. PI. Jap. II. pt. 2, 460 (1912). 

 Rhododendron stenophyllum Makino in Tokyo Bot. Mag. xxiv. 99 (1910). 



— Komatsu in Matsumura, PI. Koisikav. i. 60, t. 35 (1912). 



This variety is distinguished by its leaves which are narrower and 

 longer than those of the type. Bean says the branches are stiffly erect 

 and that the plant is quite distinct. It is known to me only from a 

 specimen from the Kew plant which we are told was introduced from 

 Tokyo in 1894. The indumentum is ferrugineous. Makino founded this 

 variety on a specimen cultivated in the Botanic Garden, Tokyo, and 

 probably the Kew plant is from the type. Makino states that it is said 

 to grow wild on the mountains of the northern boundaries of Mikawa and 

 Totomi provinces in Hondo. 



There is a hybrid which may be named 



X Rhododendron Watereri Wilson, n. hyb. 



Rhododendron Metternichii var. pentamerum X catawbiense hybrid Hurt. 

 Anthony Waterer. 



