CHAP. LXIX. J^RICA'CE^. iiHODODE'NDRON. 1131 



§ i. Pbnticum D. Don. 



Sect. Char. Limb of calyx short, 5-lobed. Corolla campanulate. Sta- 

 mens 10. Ovarium 5-celled. Leaves coriaceous, evergreen. (Don^s 

 Mill., iii. p. 8-i3.) 



» I. R. po'nticum L. The Pontic Rhododendron, or Rose Bay. 



Identification. Lin. Sp., 561. ; Don's Mill., 3. p. 843. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836.. 



Engravings. Pall. Fl. Koss., 1. p. 43. t. 29. ; Jacq. Icon. Rar., 1. t. 78. ; Lara. 111., t. 3(54. ; Bot. Mag., 

 t. 650. J and our fig. 931. 



Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, glabrous on 

 both surt"ace.s, attenuated towards the thick petioles, 

 with a streak on the upper surface, of a wide lanceolate 

 form. Racemes short, corymbose. Leaves sometimes 

 becoming ferruginous beneath. Corolla purple, or pur- 

 plish pink, large ; with ovate, acute, or lanceolate 

 segments. Calyx minute, 5-toothed, somewhat cartila- 

 ginous. {Doit's Mill., iii. p. SIS.) An evergreen shrub ; 

 a native of Pontus (now Armenia), in Asia Minor, 

 where it grows to the height of 10 ft. or 12 ft. ; flower- 

 ing in May and June. It was introduced in 1763, and 

 is frequent in British gardens. 



Varieties. 



m R. J}. 2 uhtmum Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 162., Don's Mill., iii. p. 8-i3., 

 has the leaves subcordate, coriaceous, obtuse, and the calyx very 

 short, and unequally and undulately crenated. It grows from 3 ft. to 

 4- ft. high, and has purple flowers. Found wild in Armenia. 



* R. 7J. 3 myrtifolium Lodd. Bot. Cab , t. 908., Don's Mill., iii. p. 843., 



has the leaves small, and the flowers purple. It is a native of 

 Gibraltar. 



* R. p. i Smithn Swt. Brit. Fl.-Gard., n. s., t. 50., Don's Mill., iii. p. 843., 



has the leaves lanceolate, and clothed with white tomentum beneath ; 

 corymbs many-flowered; ovarium tomentose, and 10-celled. The 

 flowers are of a rosy purple, approaching to crimson, elegantly spotted 

 with black. A hybrid, raised by Mr. Smith, at Coombe Wood, from 

 the seed of R. ponticum, impregnated by the pollen of R. arboreum' 



* R. ^j. 5 Lowu Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 190. Corolla white; the upper 



segments marked by a few dull scarlet spots. This is a most striking 

 variety, originated by M. Jacob Makoy. It is named after Mr. 

 Low of Clapton. 

 !i^ * R. /;. 6 azaleoides; R. azaleoides Desf. ; /?. p. ;8 subdeciduum Andr. 

 Bot. Rep., t. 379., Hayn. Ahbild., t. 15. ; is a hybrid between R. pon- 

 ticum and some species of Azalea, with fragrant blossoms. It was 

 originated about 1820, and is a favourite in collections. There is a 

 subvariety, R.^j. a. 2 odordtum Lodd. Cat., in which the flowers are 

 supposed to be more odoriferous than in R. p. azaleoides. 



Nursery Varieties. The following are cultivated by Messrs. Loddiges, 



(Catalogue of Plants, S^c, at Hachney, 16th ed., 1836.) 



li. p. Alburn. R. p. fl. pltno. if. p. macrophyllum. 



angustifblium. fol. argenteis. niv&ticum. 



angustissimum. fol. aOreis. obtusum. 



mrbutifblium. fol. marginJltis. ov^tum. 



bromeU'(^y//a?« frondbsum. pygma?^um. 



bullatum. grandiflbrum. rdseum. 



cassmt'fblium. incarn^tum. salicifblium. 



cseruli^scens. intermedium. spectabile. 



contdrtum. Y.a\xaicEfi>lium. wioliceum. 

 crispum. 



Description. The Rhododendron |)6nticum is the commonest species of 

 the genus in British gardens, where it grows to the height of from 5 ft. to 

 15 ft., or upwards; forming a dense bush, which will spread over a large 



