384 



RHODODENDRON 



notice. It is quite hardy, and can readily be raised from seed, which it ripens 

 in plenty. Remarkably distinct from all other American azaleas, it bears 

 a certain resemblance in the contour of the corolla to tru, 1 R. rhombicum 



RHODODENDRON VASEYI. 



(N. Asiatic) group. It is worthy of a place in any garden. Among the 

 seedlings raised at Kew was one with pure white flowers. It has been called 

 var. ALBUM. 



R. VILLOSUM, Hemsley and Wilson. 



An evergreen shrub, up to 18 ft. high ; branchlets slender, scaly, and 

 clothed with pale bristles \ in. long. Leaves scattered on the vigorous shoots, 

 clustered at the end of weaker ones ; ovate or oblong, pointed, rounded or 

 tapered at the base ; 2 to 3^ ins. long, f to i|- ins. wide ; upper surface 

 sparsely scaly, downy about the midrib, and freely sprinkled with pale, long 

 bristles ; lower surface more scaly but less bristly, and downy only on and 

 about the midrib ; stalk ^ to \ in. long, bristly. Flowers light to dark purple, 

 \\ to if ins. across, produced in clusters of three or more. Corolla if ins. 

 wide, with a funnel-shaped tube and deeply five-lobed, scaly and bristly 

 outside; calyx saucer-shaped, hidden in bristles; stamens about. ten, with 

 a tuft of hairs near but not at the base ; flower-stalk \ to f in. long, hairy. 



Introduced by Wilson in 1904, from Szechuen, China. A species very 

 distinct in the bristly character of its various parts ; flowers variable in tint, 

 the darkest purple forms rather striking. t 



R. VIRGATUM, Hooker fit. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 5060.) 



An evergreen shrub, up to 3 ft. high, with slender branches, covered when 

 young (like the under-surface and stalk of the leaves and the flower-stalks) 



