378 RHODODENDRON 



to Paris in 1889 by the Abbe Delavay, and thence to England. It is a 

 somewhat stiff, dull-coloured shrub, and bears a great resemblance to the 

 American R. punctatum, differing in its taller growth, mostly narrower more 

 tapering leaves, and larger flowers. It is hardy under ordinary circumstances, 

 although a few plants at Kew died through the killing of the bark at ground- 

 level during the trying winter of 1908-9, but this only occurred in a low-lying, 

 damp situation. 



R. SCHLIPPENBACHII, Maximowicz. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 7373 (Azalea).) 



A deciduous shrub, probably 3 to 5 ft. high ; twigs bristly when young. 

 Leaves in a terminal cluster of about five, each 2^- to 5 ins. long, \\ to 3 ins. 

 wide ; obovate or somewhat diamond-shaped, tapering at the base, blunt or 

 slightly notched at the apex ; smooth on both surfaces except for a few 

 scattered bristles above and loose down beneath when young. Flowers 3 to 

 3^ ins. across, soft rose, spotted on the three upper lobes of the corolla with 

 reddish brown, and produced in clusters of three to six. Calyx and flower- 

 stalk very clammy, the latter about I in. long. 



Native of Manchuria, Corea, etc., first discovered by Richard Oldham in 

 1863, and afterwards by Baron Schlippenbach ; introduced by the late 

 J. H. Veitch in 1893. It is a plant of exquisite beauty, and its fine leaves, 

 suffused with purplish red when young, are the largest and most striking among 

 azaleas. Unfortunately it suffers from a defect very common to Manchurian 

 shrubs and trees : it is excited into growth by early warmth only to have its 

 young growths destroyed by frost. I have seen this happen twice in one 

 season, an experience no plant can long survive. So far as winter frost is 

 concerned it is apparently quite hardy, but I consider it a hopeless subject 

 except in warm or elevated districts, where spring frosts do little harm, or 

 where artificial protection until May can be given. 



R. SERPYLLIFOLIUM, Miguel. 

 (Bot. Mag., t. 7503 ; Azalea serpylli folia, A. Gray.) 



A low evergreen shrub, perhaps 2 or 3 ft. high, with the slender wiry stems 

 covered thickly with appressed, linear, dark brown bristles, that point towards 

 the end of the shoot. Leaves narrowly oval or obovate, j to f in. long, to |- 

 in. wide ; dark green, and thinly furnished above and on the margins with 

 bristly hairs, paler and with a few bristles beneath, base tapering to a very 

 short stalk. Flowers mostly solitary at the end of short twigs, f in. across, 

 pale rose, or almost white ; corolla with five oblong lobes ; stamens five, calyx 

 and ovary bristly. 



Native of Japan. This quaint and pretty little shrub, an ally of R. indicum, 



is not often seen, as. it is scarcely hardy in the London district. The ideal 



place for it would be some ledge in a rock garden in the milder localities of 



the south and west. It is distinguished among the " indica " group of azaleas 



1>y its tiny evergreen foliage, and thin, straggling branches. 



R. SETOSUM, Don. 

 (Bot. Mag., t. 8523.) 



A dwarf evergreen shrub, 6 to 12 ins. high, of close, bushy habit ; young shoots 

 .densely clothed with pale bristles and minute down. Leaves oblong, tapered 

 at the 'base, rounded at the apex, f to in. long, bristly on the margins, very 

 scaly above, rather glaucous and less scaly beneath. Flowers three to eight in 



