NAT. ORDER. 



Ericacece. 



AZALEA LEDIFOLIA. PUEPLE-FLOWERED AZALIA. 



Class V. Pentandria. Order I. Monogynia. 



Gen. Char. Calyx, five-parted. Corolla, short, companulate, five- 

 cleft. Stamens, five, equal, shorter than the corolla. Cells of 

 anthers, opening- by a terminal pore. Style, straight, inclosed. 

 Capsule, five-celled. 



Spe. Char. Leaves, opposite, small, elliptic, glabrous, with revolute 

 margins. Floiccrs, pedicellate, rising in fascicles from the axils 

 of the upper leaves, small, red. 



Tnis is a small shrub, rising from two to four feet in height. Its 

 general characters are mostly allied with the Azalea indlca, both in 

 qualities and habits of growth ; the roots are fibrous ; the Jibres mod- 

 erately slender, branched ; the stetn is slender, erect, compressed, 

 bearing four or five pair of leaves alternately placed ; spathc terminal, 

 of two unequal leaves ; j^cdunclcs nearly as long as the spathe, slender, 

 curved as if from the weight of the flower, which sometimes droops ; 

 'perianth of six oblong, slightly concave, obtuse, bright purple, moder- 

 ately spreading sepals, faindy striated externally ; capsules five-celled, 

 with five valves, cloven-pointed, and inflexed edges from the double 

 partitions. 



Our wild specimens of this richly colored plant perfectly accord 

 wiUi the one here figured, only they are rather smaller, and the flower 

 less drooping. It appears to be a rare plant in collections, and though 

 stated to be hardy, we find the shelter of the green-house is required 

 to protect them through the winter. 

 Vol. IV.— 160. 



