CHAP. LXIX. 



^RICA'CEiE. JIRODO^RE^. 



1129 



Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves broail, cuneate-obovate, acute, scabrous on both surfaces, coarsely serrated ; 

 serratures hooked. Kacemes spicate, sub-panicled, bracteated, finely tomentose. (^Don's Mill., iii 

 p. 8+2.) A native of the western parts of Georgia, where it was collected by Mr. Lyon, and by 

 him introduced into Britain in 1806. It is a shrub, growing to the height of 3 ft. or 4 ft., and 

 flowering from July to October. 



App. i. Half-hardy Species ofClkhra. 



C. arbdrea Ait {Bot. Mag., t. 1057. ; and our Jig. 931.) is a well- 

 known green-house tree-like shrub, and is by far the handsomest 

 species of the genus. It is a native of Madeira, with oblong, 

 attenuated, lanceolate, serrated leaves, glabrous on both surfaces ; 

 and spike-formed racemes of white flowers, resembling those of the ^\ 

 lily of the valley. It was introduced in 1784 ; grows from 8 ft. 

 to 10ft. high, in pots, and still higher when planted in the bed of 

 a conservatory ; and flowers from August to October. It thrives 

 best in a sandy peat ; and, if planted against a conservative wall, 

 and sufficiently protected during winter, it would thrive in favour- 

 able situations ; although plants flowering so late in the season are 

 not the most desirable for such a purpose, for obvious reasons. 

 A plant in the Kilkenny Nursery has stood against a south wall 

 for several years, and Mr. Robertson is of opinion, that, in that 

 part of Ireland, it will ultimately prove as hardy as the O'lea ex- 

 ct'lsa, which lives through the winter there as a standard. There 

 is a variety of this with the leaves variegated, which is found in 

 some collections. 



C.ferruginea Ruiz et Pav. Fl. Per., 4. t 380. fig. b, is a native 

 of Peru, on mountains, where it grows to the height of 15 ft. It 

 was introduced in 1800, and is probably as hardy as Cl^thra ar. 

 borea. 



C. tinifolia Swartz ; Tlnus occidentlllis L., Srowtic's Jam., 214. 

 t 21. fig. 1. ; is a native of the south of Jamaica, and also of Mexico, 

 where it grows to the height of 14 ft. It was introduced in 18i.'5. 

 C. mexic^na Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836, appears to be this species. 



Other species of ClUhra, requiring a green-house, are described 

 in Don's Miller j but they have not yet been introduced. 



App. I. Half-hardy Genera belonging to the Section Ericea and 

 § Andro7nedeae of the Order 'Ericdcece. 



Agarista 'a mythological name, in commemoration of the beautiful daughter of Clisthenes ; in re- 

 ference to the beauty of the flowers) D. Don. {G. Don's Mill., 3. p. 837.) This genus is composed of 

 evergreen shrubs, natives of the Mauritius and South America, which were formerly included under 

 Andr6medc(. Only one species is introduced, and that is an inhabitant of the green-house. 



J..bur(fdlia G. Don; Andromeda iuxifcllia Lam., Bot. ilArg., t. 2660., Bot. Cab., t. 1494. ; is a 

 native of the Island of Bourbon, introduced in 1822, and producing its pink flowers in June and July. 

 It forms a fine evergreen shrub for a conservatory, where it grows to the height of 6 ft. or 7 ft., and 

 would, probably, live against a conservative wall, with sufficient protection. 



Sect. II. -Rhodore^. 



The iJhodoreae include genera of some of the most singularly ornamental 

 evergreen and deciduous peat-earth shrubs that adorn our gardens ; for what 

 would our American ground be without the genera i?hododendron and 

 Azalea? Our consei-vatories would suffer equally without the Indian and 

 Chinese species of these families. " Of all the genera in existence," G. Don 

 observes, " iJhododendron " (under which he includes the Azalea) " comprises 

 the most handsome, elegant, and showy shrubs for adorning shrubberies or 

 planting singly on lawns."^ Though, in Britain, these plants are solely culti- 

 vated as ornamental, yet, in their native countries, they are not without their 

 other uses. " The i?hod6re3e," Mr. Royle observes, " abound in stimulant, 

 and even deleterious, properties. Thus i^hododendron ponticum, R. maxi- 

 mum, R. ferrugineum, and R. chrysanthum are poisonous to cattle which feed 

 on them ; and yet, in moderate doses, are used in medicine, for the cure of rheu- 

 matism, &c. Azalea procumbens L. and iedum palustre arc accounted 

 diuretic ; and L. latifolium, being more stimulant, is used as a tea, under the 

 name of Labrador tea, but determines to the head. Kalmia latifolia is ac- 

 counted poisonous, and honey collected by bees from its flowers is of a dele- 

 terious nature; as is that of A. pontica, which was so injurious to the soldiers 

 in the Retreat of the Ten Thousand. In the Himalayan species, 7?hodod^ndron 

 arborcum is more remarkable for its uses as a timber tree than the other species. 



