/ 



174 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Sess. lxxxi 



Xor will I maintain that the limits assigned to the several 

 species in the descriptions which I have given will not 

 require modification when we come to know more about 

 the plants in their living state and have for comparison 

 with them the additional and new forms which I expect. 

 Looking at the members of the series in the dried state, 

 the differences between them and the characters for de- 

 marcation are easily recognised, and I believe my segre- 

 gation of forms and microforms in the series is sound. 

 As so many of the species are known at present from 

 collection in one locality only, we may be prepared for 

 future discoveries showing perhaps that the fluctuations 

 in such characters as numerical symmetry of the flower 

 and in the indumentum of the ovary, for instance, occur 

 also in others than those in which they have been 

 observed up till now. At the same time let us note that 

 Rli. irroratum — the species which we know best, and over 

 an area from Tali to the Chungtien plateau and Tseku — is, 

 save for size variation in the flower, a most constant form. 



Rhododendron adenostemonum, Balf. f. et W. W. Sm. ^ 



Small tree reaching about 4 m. high with medium thick 

 branches. Branches a year old pale green or dirty grey 



^ Rhododendron adenostemonum, Balf. f. et W.W. Sm. — Arbor parva ad 

 4 m. alta rainis hand crassis. Rami annotini pallide virides vel sordide 

 grisei rubro-glaudulosi vel glandularum vestigiis punctulati. Alabastra 

 folioram iguota. Folia petiolala ad 14 cm. loiiga; lamina ri^dde coriacea 

 lanceolata vel oblongo-lanceolata ad ITS cm. longa ad 3 cm. lata apicem 

 versus leviter atteuuata acutiu.'^cula tuberculo parvo corneo terminata 

 margine cartilagiuea obscure uiidulata et cicatricibus subasperata basi 

 anguste vel late oljtusa saepe inaeqnalis supra primo olivacea vel sub- 

 glauco-viridis nunc tandem rubido-brunnea opaca laevis baud rugulosa 

 costa media sulcata venis primariis utrin.secus circ. ad 16 vix distinctis 

 glabrescens sed pedibus glandularum detersarum obscure punctulata 

 subtus cinnamomea costa media venisque primariis elevatis .substramineis 

 vel suberube-scentibus venularum reti rubido immerso ubique pedibus 

 rubris glandularum detersarum punctulata ; petiolus circ. 2'5 cm. longus 

 crassus supra sulcatus glabrescens sed cicatricibus glandidarum notatus. 

 Flores circ. 12 in racemo-umbellam dispositi rliachi glandulis rubris et 

 pilis sebaceis floccosis (?) plus minusve obtecta ; bracteae fertiles oblongo- 

 cuneatae subtruncatae subapiculatae circ. 3 cm. longaecirc. ] "4 cm. latae 

 submembranaceae bninneae extus sericeae et apice rubro-glandulosae 

 vertice fimbriatae margine eciliatae intus basi excepta sericeae ; 

 bracteolae lineares circ. 1-4 cm. longae circ. 5 mm. latae pedicellos 

 superantes spadiceae adpresso-sericeae ; pedicelli crassi breves circ. 

 4 mm. longi dense rubro-glandulosi. Calyx miuutus circ. 275 mm. 

 longus cupularis cupula extus sparse gland ulosa 5-lobatus, lobis carno- 

 .sulis late triangulari bus vel ovatis dorso puberuliset sparsissime glandu- 



