18. 
RHODODENDRON GLAUCUM, ‘zor. 
Glauc leaved R, lodendr¢ 
Tas. XVII. 
Fruticulus erectus ramosus, ramulis petiolis pedunculis foliisque subtus lepidotis, foliis cllipticis seu elliptico-lanceolatis mucronatis in petiolum 
brevem angustatis superne denudatis subtus albo-glaucescentibus, corymbis terminalibus 6-8-floris, floribus suberectis mediocribus, 
calycis 5-partiti lobis ovatis acutis subfoliaceis, corolla minute glanduloso-punctatze rosew tubo late campanulato intus basi pubescente, 
limbi lobis patentibus rotundatis cmarginatis, staminibus 10, filamentis basi puberulis, ovario dense squamuloso inferne nudo, capsula 
subglobosa calycem persistentem squante squamulosa glauca 5-loculari. 
Han. Sikkim-Himalaya; rocky depressed ridges of Chola, Lachen, and Lachoong; clev. 10-12,000. FU. May ; fr. November. 
35 
This constitutes a small sirwd of the average height of two feet. Branches scarcely so thick as a goose-quill, 
yellowish-brown, often glaucous-white, the younger ones squamulose. eaves rather crowded at the extremities of the 
branches, 1-3 inches long, usually 1-14 inch broad, on short petioles, oblong or broadly lanceolate, obtuse, with a mucro, 
upper side deep green, when old naked above, below remarkably glaucous, almost white, and quite dotted with copious 
little scales, which in the young state covered the whole leaf, and at all times abound on the bracteas, buds, peduncles, and 
especially on the calyx-segments. Peduncles seven to eight almost in an umbel at the apices of the branches, erect, an 
inch or more long, rather slender. #owers erect or inclined, pale pinkish-purple. Calye deeply five-partite, the lobes 
ovate, acute, leafy, almost the length of the tube of the corolla. Corol/a vather more than an inch long, and about as 
broad in the widest part: fe campanulate ; limd moderately spreading, of five nearly equal rounded emarginate dodes. 
Stamens ten, included: filaments downy at the base. Ovary ovate, five-furrowed, upper half densely scaly. Capsule short, 
subglobose, acute, five-valved, scaly, included in the large loose persistent calyx, the valves glaucous, lepidote. 
The remarkably glaucous colour* of the underside of the leaves, and the great development of the calyx, will 
readily distinguish this species from every other. In foliage, indeed, it has the lowest resemblance to 2. virgatum : but 
in that alone,—the inflorescence and calyx are widely different. The whole plant has a powerful resinous smell, due to 
exceedingly minute globules of a pale yellow colour, which may be seen to exude from beneath the little scales on the 
underside of the leaves, and which, in this species, too, abound so much on the other parts of the plant. 
These scales, themselves, are very curious on the underside of the leaves of this plant: they are of two kinds; 
the majority are smaller, pale-coloured, exhibiting several concentric circles of minute, nearly uniform cells; the larger 
ones are setose at the margin, and consist of a centre or disc of small cells, while the circumference forms a limb or 
margin of radiating elongated cells (see fig. 6, 7). 
* This glaucous hue is fully retained in the well-dried specimens, but disappears from those that have been by any accident wetted. 
Tas. XVI. Rhododendron glaueum. Fig. 1. Stamen. 2. Calyx and pistil. 8. Pistil. 4. Transverse section of the ovary :—magnified. 
5. Fruit included in the calyx, and with the persistent style :—zatural size. 6. Portion of a young leaf, showing the scales :—magnified. 
7. Exhibits the two different scales separated from the leaf :—more highly magnified. 
