1915-16.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 103 



macrophyllum, Diels ^ took Forrest's No. 2159 to be the 

 true Rh. lacteum, Franch. adding however, " I do not think 

 that inacroijhyllum, Franch. is even a variety. The size of 

 leaves seems to be a fluctuating character in these two." 

 From his standpoint, looking on Forrest's No. 2159 as Rlc. 

 lacteum, Franch. and Forrest's No. 501 as Rh. lacteum, 

 var. macrophyllum, Franch. Diels is right. These plants 

 are the same but then neither of them is Rh. lacteum, 

 Franch. They are both Rh. lacteum, Franch. var. onacro- 

 jjhyllum. 



Yet Diels had under liis eye the true RJc. lacteum Franch. 

 in Forrest's specimens 4160, which he placed ^ in Rh. 

 taliense, Franch. It is liowever far removed from this 

 species. 



Franchet's two plants being distinct species it is necessary 

 to give his var. macrophyllum a distinguishing name. 

 There is already a Rh. onacrojyhyllum, Don — a N.W. 

 American species — and I have to christen the plant as I do 

 under the name Rh. fictolacteum, Ball fil. 



Rh. lacteum, Franch. gives promise of being a more 

 welcome plant in our gardens than Rh. fictolacteum, Balf. 

 fil. A large-leaved Rhododendron with large trusses of 

 canary-yellow flowers will indeed be an acquisition. Seeds 

 of the plants in its finest form as shown in dried specimens 

 have been procured by Mr. Forrest (No. 11,575) from which 

 we may have it in cultivation and I hope flowering at an 

 earlier period in its life than Rh. fictolacteum, Balf. fil. 



The description attached to t. 8372 of the Botanical 

 Magazine may be taken as that of Rh. fictolacteum, 

 Balf. f. as it appears in cultivation, and we must await 

 the flowering in our gardens of Rh. lacteum, Franch. for 

 a full description of it for comparison with its ally. Here 

 I content myself by crystallising in the following brief 

 differential diagnosis Mdiat is said above : — 



Rh. lacteum, Franch. Leaves not tapered to base. 

 Under leaf indumentum unistrate smooth velvety uniform 

 dull fawn coloured of persistent hair tufts each on a short 

 foot. Flowers cream coloured to canary yellow. 



Rli. fictolacteton, Balf. f. Leaves tapered to base. 



1 Diels in Notes R.B.G. Ediu., v (1912), 215. 

 - Diels in Notes R.B.G. Edin., v (1912), 216. 



