A very large evergreen bush or small tree. Leaves coriaceous, large, 

 entire, smooth, becoming brownish underneath, with scarcely any other 

 veins than the midrib ; broad-lanceolate, tapering to the stout peduncle. 

 Flowers in close terminal clusters, very showy, of various tints of 

 purple. Corolla shortly campanulate, deeply 5-cleft, with ovate, acute 

 segments, one of which is larger than the others. Stamens 10, purplish, 

 the length of the corolla. Reported to be deleterious, and to have 

 been one of the plants whose nectar renders the honey of Trebisond 

 poisonous ; but this statement of Tournefort is contradicted by Gul- 

 denstaedt ; see Azalea pontica. 



778. R. chrysanthum Linn, suppl. 237. Pall.fi. ross. i. 44. 

 t. 30. (Gmel.jl. sib. iv. 121. t.54-.) The snow-capped sum- 

 mits of the Sajan mountains ; Siberia and Daouria, through all 

 Siberia eastward as far as Kamtchatka. 



A small bush 1 foot high in low places, not a foot high in alpine 

 situations, spreading, very much branched, often almost hidden among 

 moss, from which the tips only of its shoots are protruded. Leaves 

 alternate, of the texture of a laurel leaf, ovate, somewhat acute, tapering 

 into the stalk, reticulated and very rough above, paler and smoother 

 underneath. Peduncles clustered, terminal, loose, emerging from among 

 large downy scales. Flowers large, showy, nodding. Corolla yellow, 

 campanulate, 5-cleft, with rounded segments, of which the 3 upper are 

 rather the largest, and streaked with livid dots next the tube, the lower 

 unspotted. Stamens 10, unequal, deflexed. The leaves are decidedly 

 narcotic in a remarkable degree. This was first noticed by Steller, a 

 Russian Botanist, who had a tame deer which became so intoxicated 

 by browsing on (about 10 of) the leaves, that after staggering about for 

 some time it dropped into a deep but troubled sleep for the space of 

 four hours, after which it woke free from all sign of suffering; but never 

 would touch the leaves again. After this Steller's Russian servants 

 took to intoxicating themselves with the leaves, without any bad effects. 

 Pallas and Koelpin assert that a strong decoction of the leaves is of the 

 greatest service in chronic rheumatism, and even in venereal complaints ; 

 but that it is dangerous in acute rheumatism. Its value as a means of 

 removing arthritic complaints has also been highly spoken of. Finally 

 Pallas mentions an inveterate case of nervous sciatica, which had 

 brought the patient to a state of lameness and deplorable emaciation, 

 which was completely cured by perseverance in the use of the leaves 

 for 2 years. No subsequent inconvenience was experienced, nor any 

 signs of habitual drunkenness, although the dose was as much as 4 

 fluid ounces of the concentrated infusion daily. 



AZALEA. 



Calyx 5-leaved, small, equal, herbaceous. Corolla funnel- 

 shaped, usually with a long tube, with a spreading unequal limb. 

 Stamens usually 5, declinate; anthers without appendages, 

 opening by 2 terminal pores. Capsule 5-celled, 5-valved, sep- 

 ticidal. Shrubs with thin, papery, usually deciduous leaves. 



779. A. pontica Linn. sp. pi. 427. Pall. fl. ross. i. 51. t. 69, 



378 



