884 ERICACEAE 



5. BILTIA Small. 



Shrubs, with glabrous or nearly glabrous mature foliage. Leaves alternate, deciduous : 

 blades thinnish, not scurfy. Flowers preceding the leaves, in clusters, from few-scaled 

 buds. Calyx a mere undulate border. Corolla irregular : tube short, oblique, campanu- 

 late : lobes 5 ; the 2 lower overlapping, larger than the others and spreading, the 3 upper 

 spreading, the middle one exterior. Stamens 5-7, commonly 7 : filaments declined : anthers 

 opening by terminal pores. Ovary 5-celled : style curved. Capsule slightly narrowed 

 upward, ribbed, glandular-pubescent. 



1. Biltia Vaseyi (A. Gray) Small. A nearly glabrous asymmetrical shrub 1-5 

 m. tall. Leaf-blades elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 6-15 cm. long, membranous, acuminate 

 at both ends, ciliate, with a prominent midrib beneath ; petioles 3-6 mm. long : pedicels 

 1-1.5 cm. long, somewhat glandular : corolla mainly pale rose-colored, rotate-campanulate ; 

 lobes 5, ovate to obovate, unequal, the 2 lower divergent, inequilateral, the 3 upper spread- 

 ing with yellow-orange or reddish-orange spots : stamens 7 or sometimes 5 : capsules 

 oblong-ovoid, about 1 cm. long, lobed. [Rhododendron Vaseyi A. Gray.] 



On rocky mountain slopes and summits, North Carolina. Spring. 



6. RHODODENDRON L. 



Evergreen shrubs or small trees, with glabrous pubescent or waxy foliage. Leaves 

 alternate : blades entire, leathery. Flowers perfect, showy, in terminal clusters. Calyx 

 persistent : sepals 5. Corolla variously colored, campanulate, somewhat irregular : lobes 

 5, the 3 upper a little more spreading than the lower, the middle one interior : stamens 

 usually 10, slightly exserted. Filaments sometimes declined. Anthers awnless, opening 

 by terminal pores. Disk lobed. Ovary 5-20-celled. Stigma capitate or 10-lobed. Ovules 

 numerous. Capsule variable, often elongated, septicidally 5-20-valved. 



Foliage glabrous or with scurfy pubescence which is soon deciduous. 



Sepals oblong or ovate, obtuse, 4-6 mm. long : corollas white or pink. 1. R. maximum. 



Sepals triangular, acute, 1-2 mm. long: corollas lilac-purple. 2. R. Catawbiense. 



Foliage persistently lepidote with peltate scales. 



Corolla-tube less than 1.5 cm. long : corolla-lobes not crisped. 3. R. punctatum. 



Corolla-tube over 1.5 cm. long : corolla-lobes crisped. 



Leaf-blades rounded at the apex : upper corolla-lobe not yellow-blotched. 4. R. Chapmanii. 

 Leaf- blades acute or acuminate at the apex: upper corolla-lobe yellow-blotched. 5. R. Cuthbertii. 



1. Rhododendron maximum L. An evergreen shrub or small tree nearly 12 m. 

 tall, with glabrous or sometimes sticky foliage or this thinly tomentose when young. Leaf- 

 blades oblong or oblong-oblanceolate, 10-25 cm. long, acute or abruptly acuminate, lustrous 

 above, more or less densely scurfy beneath ; petioles stout, 2-5 cm. long : flower-clusters 

 dense : pedicels stout, glandular, 2-5 cm. long : calyx campanulate ; lobes ovate to oblong, 

 obtuse, longer than the tube : corolla white or pink, mottled within with yellow or orange, 

 3-6 cm. broad : capsules oblong or ovoid-oblong, about 1.5 cm. long. 



On hillsides and mountain slopes, Nova Scotia to Ontario and Ohio, south to Georgia and Alabama. 

 Spring and summer. GREAT LAUREL. ROSE BAY LAUREL. 



2. Rhododendron Catawbi6nse Michx. An evergreen shrub or small tree 0.5-6 

 m. tall, with glabrous foliage, except the young twigs and petioles. Leaf-blades oblong or 

 oval, usually abruptly pointed, dark green above, more or less revolute, mostly rounded or 

 subcordate at the base ; petioles stout, 1-2.5 cm. long : flower-clusters dense : pedicels 

 2-3.5 cm. long, glabrous or pubescent : sepals obtuse : corolla lilac-purple, 3-6 cm. broad ; 

 lobes 5, somewhat longer than broad, erose-crenulate, notched at the apex : capsules oblong 

 or oblong-ovoid, 1.5-2 cm. broad. 



On mountain slopes, Virginia to West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama. Spring and early summer. 



3. Rhododendron punctatum Andr. A branching shrub 0.5-2 m. tall, with resin- 

 ous-dotted foliage. Leaf-blades elliptic or oval, 8-12 cm. long, acute or acuminate at both 

 ends, lustrous above; midrib prominent beneath; petioles stout, 1-1.5 cm. long: flower 

 clusters dense : pedicels 1-2 cm. long : corolla rose-colored, often mottled ; tube broadly 

 funnelform ; limb spreading, its 5 lobes obovate or ovate : stamens mainly shorter than the 

 corolla : capsules oblong-ovoid, 8-11 mm. long, resinous dotted. 



In sandy soil on mountain slopes, North Carolina and Tennessee, to Georgia and Alabama. Spring. 



4. Rhododendron Chapmacii A. Gray. An evergreen shrub 1-2 m. tall, with erect 

 rigid branches. Leaf-blades oblong or oval, 2-5 cm. long, obtuse, revolute, resinous-dotted 

 beneath, somewhat lustrous above ; petioles 3-6 mm. long : flower-clusters dense : pedicels 

 5-15 mm. long : corolla rose-colored, mottled within ; tube broadly funnelform, 1.5-2 cm. 



