1923] WILSON. THE RHODODENDRONS OF NORTHEASTERN ASIA 39 



across, borne in compact, rounded trusses, rachis 1-4 cm. long, pedicels 

 slightly villose; calyx minute, 5-toothed; corolla broad-funnel-form 5- 

 lobed; stamens 10, unequal, included, filaments villose near base, anthers 

 pale, pistil shorter than longest stamens, ovary densely felted with pale 

 brown tomentum, style glabrous, stigma small, slightly lobed. Fruit 

 cylindric, 1.5-2 cm. long, furrowed, glabrescent; seed dark brown, ovoid, 

 surrounded by small wing. 



Habitat. Japan, high mountains of Shikoku and Hondo to Hokkaido; Korea, 

 Dagelet Island, and Diamond Mountains. 



This handsome species is widely distributed in Japan where I am 

 familiar with it from Shiraga-yama in Tosa province northward to Rube- 

 shibe in north Hokkaido. It is a common undergrowth in the coniferous 

 forests and above the tree limit on the higher mountains of Shinano province, 

 the Nikko region, Mt. Fuji, Adzuma-yama and on other mountains it often 

 forms dense thickets. Its altitudinal range is between 2000 and 8500 ft. 

 The leaves vary considerably in size and those on specimens I collected in 

 Korea and Hokkaido are the broadest I have seen. The flowers vary in 



ree 



pink. A specimen I collected in Tosa has fruit 2 cm. long and 0.8 cm. wide 



and leaves 20 cm. long. 



This species was first introduced into cultivation by Dr. G. It. Hall who 



Mr 



Mas 



garden it grew for a number of years when it was transferred to the Arnold 

 Arboretum. The flowers were straw-colored without any pink. Its 

 introduction into Europe was much later, according to the Botanical 

 Magazine in 1895, while Millais gives 1888. In Massachusetts it has proved 

 a hardy and valuable plant and in spite of the severe winters the foliage 

 does not brown nor do the flower-buds suffer. Its growth is slow and 

 seedlings seem difficult to establish. On account of its great hardiness it 

 is one of the most valuable Rhododendron for New England gardens and 

 it seems strange that the hybridist has not worked on this species. Mr. 

 J. C. Williams of Caerhays in Cornwall, England, has crossed it with 

 R. campylocarpum Hook. f. but I do not know the garden value of this 



hybrid. 



The form with rose-pink flowers has been named 



Rhododendron brachycarpum var. rosaeflorum Miyoshi in Jour. Coll. 



Sci. Tokyo, xxvn. art. 11, 8 (1910). 



Rhododendron braahycarpum var. roseum Koidzumi in Tokyo Bot. Mag. 

 xxx. 77 (1916). 



This color-form occurs mixed with the type. Koidzumi records it from 

 the high mountains of Hokkaido. I purchased specimens from a florist 

 in Kyoto and these have larger flowers than is usual in the species, being 

 6.5 cm. across. 



