Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 241 



AMERICAN RHODODENDRON; GREAT LAUREL 

 (Rhododendron maximum) is a large, tall and very 

 ornamental shrub growing from 5 to 35 feet high. It 

 is one of the most characteristic shrubs of the Alle- 

 gheny Mountain region, where it grows in such pro- 

 fusion as to form almost impenetrable thickets. As 

 it is a very hardy shrub and not injured by trans- 

 planting, it is very often used for decorative effects 

 in parks and about private dwellings. 



The oblong leaves are deep, glossy green, tough 

 and leathery in texture and have a smooth, slightly 

 rolled-under edge. They droop in the winter season 

 but are wide spread in summer. 



At the ends of the numerous branches, during 

 June and July, are showy clusters of pink or white 

 flowers. Each blossom spreads nearly two inches 

 and is composed of five, broad, blunt-ended petals 

 of a pink-white color, spotted with golden-orange. 

 They have ten spreading stamens and a small pistil. 

 The flowers are visited most often by the common 

 bumblebee. Each flower stem is sticky to prevent 

 crawling insects from visiting the interior of the blos- 

 som; such insects usually have smooth, shining 

 bodies not capable of transferring pollen and are use- 

 less to the welfare of the plant. 



Rhododendron is found in rich, hilly or mountain- 

 ous woods, commonly from Pa. to Ga. but rarly 

 northwards to Ontario and Nova Scotia. 



MOUNTAIN ROSE BAY (R. catawbiense) is a 

 similar species found in the higher mountains from 

 Va. to Ga. It has oblong, round-ended leaves and 

 flowers with a broad, bell-shaped corolla of lilac- 

 purple petals. 



LAPLAND ROSE BAY (R. lapponicum) is a dwarf 

 species with small elliptical leaves and a prostrate 

 stem, both dotted with rusty scales, and small purple 

 flowers. It is found from N. Y. and Me. to the Artie 

 regions. 



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