RHODODENDRON 



387 



a group of scaly, purple-flowered rhododendrons not yet clearly defined, but 

 including R. concinnum and R. polylepis. The former has smaller paler 

 flowers, and a shallowly round-lobed calyx ; the latter has a similar calyx to 

 R. concinnum, but protruding stamens, and its leaves are longer and narrower 

 than in R. yanthinum. R. ambiguum is also closely allied. 



R. YUXNANENSE, Fraitchct. 

 (Bot. Mag., t..76i4.) 



A semi-evergreen or nearly deciduous shrub, ultimately 8 to 10 ft. high ; 

 stiffly and somewhat thinly branched ; young wood slightly scaly. Leaves 



RHODODENDRON YUNNANENSE. 



narrowly oval or obovate ; \\ to 3 ins. long, ^ to f in. wide ; tapering at both 

 ends, ciliate and sometimes sparsely bristly when young, bright green above, 

 paler beneath, slightly scaly on both sides ; stalk J in. or less long. Flowers 

 produced in one or more clusters at the end of the previous year's shoots 

 during the latter half of May, each cluster consisting of four or five flowers ; 

 corolla i^ to 2 ins. across, pale blush with brown crimson spots on the upper 

 side ; lobes five, ovate and rounded, base funnel-shaped ; calyx very small, 

 almost evenly circular ; stamens ten, i to i^ ins. long, hairy at the base, much 

 protruded ; ovary scaly ; style smooth ; flower-stalk f to I in. long. 



Native of W. China ; introduced about 1889 by the Abbe Delavay to 

 Paris, thence to England. This very charming species is quite hardy and 

 flowers profusely almost every year, but its foliage is somewhat meagre, and 



