1134? ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART 111. 



Commercial Statistics. The price of plants of the species, in the London 

 nurseries, is from 1/. 5*. to 5/. per hundred ; and of the varieties, from l.v. 6d. to 

 .>.?. eacii J and seeds are 2,v. per ounce. At BoUw} Her, 2 years' seedUngs are 

 25 francs per hundred, and the varieties from 1 franc to 2 francs each. At New 

 York, plants of the species are 1 dollar each, and of the varieties 2 dollars, 



m 2. R. ma'ximum L. The largest Rhododendron, or American Rose Bay. 



Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., p. 563. ; Don's Mill., 3. p. 843. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1856. 

 Engravings. Bot. Mag., t. 951. ; Lam. III., 364. ; Schmidt Baum., t 121. ; Mill. Icon., 229. ; Catesb. 

 Car., 3. t. 17. f.2. ; and ourjf^. 932 



Spec. Char., Sfc. Arborescent. _ Leaves elliptic-oblong, acute, convex, blunt- 

 ish at the base, whitish or rusty beneath, glabrous. Calycine segments 

 oval-obtuse. Segments of corolla roundish. Flowers pale red, in umbel- 

 late corymbs,studilcdwithgreen, yellow, 

 or purple protuberances. ( Doll's Mill., 

 iii. p. S43.) A native of North Ame- 

 rica, from Canada to Carolina, on the 

 mountains, near rivulets and lakes, 

 upon rocks and barren soils, where it 

 continues flowering a great part of the 

 summer ; and where it forms a shrub 

 growing to the height of from JO ft. to 

 i.j ft., flowering from June to August. 

 Introduced in 1730, and frequent in 

 collections. This species is not nearly 

 so easy of culture as R. p6nticum, and ^S2~ 



neither grows nor flowers so freely in 

 British gardens. Though introduced by Peter Collinson in 1736, it 

 did not flower in England till 1756, as Miller informs us; who adds, 

 that the only person who then succeeded in raising it was Mr. James 

 Gordon, at Alile End. The culture, &c., are the same as for 7^ ponticum. 

 Plants of this species, in the London nurseries, are 1*. each, and seeds 3.?. (id. 

 per oz. ; at Bollwyller plants are 4 and 5 francs each ; and at New York, from 

 30 cents to 1 dollar, and of the white variety 2 dollars. 



1 '^arielies. 



«» 11. m. 2 album Hort. has pure white flowers, and is comparatively 

 rare in British gardens. 



« R. m. 3 hybridum Hook. Bot. Mag., t. 3454'. ; R. fragrans HorL; R. 

 hybridum Lodd. Cat.; is supposed to be a hybrid originated by fer- 

 tilising the common white glaucous-leaved Azalea with the pollen 

 of R. maximum. This variety has fragrant flowers, and, according 

 to Sir W. J. Hooker, is " amply worthy of a place in every garden 

 and shrubbery." 



• 1 3. i?. (m.) purpu^reum G. Don. The \i\xY\Ae-flowered Rhododendron, or 

 American Rose Bay. 



Identification. Don's Mill., 3. p. 8+3. 



Synunymcs. /?. maximum y purpUreum Pursh Ft. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 297. ; R. ponticum macro, 

 phyllum J^odd. Cat. 



Spec. Char., ^-c. Arboreous. Leaves large, oblong-elliptic, flattish, acute, 

 bluntish at the base, green, and glabrous on both surfaces. Segments of 

 corolla oblong and obtuse. Flowers large, purple. Calycine segments 

 obtuse. This shrub approaches near to R. ponticum ; but it differs in its 

 foliaceous calyx, and otherwise. It grows to an immense size ; its stem 

 being often found 18 in. and more in diameter ; and its foliage triple the size 

 of that of any other species. (Don's Mill., iii. p. 843.) It is a native of Vir- 

 ginia and Carolina, on the highest mountains, near lakes ; where it forms a 

 large shrub, or tree, growing to the height of 25 ft., flowering in May and 

 June. This species appears to be in cultivation in some British nurseries, 

 under the name of R. arboreum americtnium ; but in Messrs. Loddiges's 



