1919^ The Distribution of Rhododendeon Catawbiense 77 



his Notes of a Botanical Excursion into North Carolina, says in 

 a footnote: ^'Oiir own observations would restrict Rhododendron 

 Catawbiense to the tops of the higher mountains, or to some such 

 peculiar station as this at Linville Falls at somewhat lower 

 elevations. But Mr. Howard Shriver pointed out to me a local- 

 ity at the foot of the low mountains which rise behind "Wythe- 

 ville in Virginia ; and, what is truly extraordinary. Prof. F. W. 

 Symonds, of the University of ISTorth Carolina, sends specimens, 

 in full bloom on the third of April, on a steep and shaded bank 

 on Morgan's Creek, near Chapel Hill, in the middle upper country 

 of the State, flourishing at an elevation of only 500 feet above the 

 level of the sea!" (Bull T. B. Club 6:336.1879). A little later 

 in the same year Professor Simmons published a note On the Habitat 

 of Rliododendron cataivbiense, in which he records its occurrence at 

 Chapel Hill (Am. I^aturalist, Dec. 1879, p. 777). He quotes from 

 Dr. Gray's letter to him on receipt of specimens, as follows : "The 

 laurel (which I had heard of from one of your pupils whom I met in 

 June) I am delighted to see. It is certainly, as you say, B. cataiv- 

 biense, and most remarkable for occurring at so low a level, where it 

 flowers early. It comes down somewhat as R. punctatum does in 

 Georgia. But this is more remarkable." These early records seem 

 to have been entirely forgotten, for they have never found their way 

 even into Gray's own Manual. More recently Dr. Small has 

 collected B. catawbiense on Kings Mountain, one of the points we 

 visited (Torreya 1:7. 1901). 



At Chapel Hill, at Hillsboro, at Patterson's Mill in Orange County, 

 and about eight miles north of Durham, at Christian's Mill near the 

 Roxboro road in Durham County this Rhododendron grows in flour- 

 ishing abundance on the stce}), northward-facing banks and bluifs 

 of ]\[organ's (h-eck, New Hope Creek, and Eno River. 



Surprising as these occurrences may seem we can now report still 

 more remarkable extensions of the range. In 1908 I secured speci- 

 mens of B. cataiobiense in bloom that were collected by ]Mr. W. J. 

 Andrews of Raleigh from his farm, one male west of Carv. It grew 

 in plenty on the south blulTof Crabtree Creek. A little later 1 hcnnl 

 rumors of tlio occun-ciiee of Rhododendron at Sclina, and made a 



