76 THE AZALEAS OF THE OLD WORLD 



fragrant, from 2 to 10 in terminal umbels, very variable in size and form. The 

 pedicels are from 2 to 4 cm. long, straight or spreading, densely glandular and 

 pilose. The calyx is green, glandular-pubescent and very variable in size, the 

 strap-shaped segments being from 1 to 3 cm. long and occasionally exceeding the 

 rose-pink to red-purple corolla, which is broad funnel-shape, sometimes 5 cm. but 

 often not more than 3 cm. across; it is glabrous without, and normally larger than 

 the calyx. Stamens normally 5, but at Ikeda I gathered specimens with from 6 to 

 10 stamens; they are shorter than the pistil and included within the corolla except 

 in abnormally small flowers. The fruit is narrow-ovoid, about 1 cm. long, glandu- 

 lar-pubescent, purplish-brown in color and subtended by the persistent calyx the 

 lobes of which are reflexed, brown without and wine-purple on the inside. There 

 can be no question of this being the phylogenetic type of the species and it is 

 B unfortunate that it should have to rank as a variety. Even in a wild state it is a 

 very variable plant, and a number of forms have been detected and are cultivated 

 in Japanese gardens; these are dealt with hereafter. The calyx, pedicels and inner- 

 most scales of the flower-buds are always glandular, usually densely so and com- 

 monly sufficiently viscid to hold gnats and small flies captive, but this viscosity 

 like everything else in this plant is variable. The flowers are pleasantly fragrant 

 and some of the color forms are very handsome. When the flowers have a com- 

 paratively small corolla and very long calyx-lobes the effect is curious. This 

 Azalea was introduced into Petrograd by Maximowicz who sent seeds in 1863. It 

 flowered for the first time in 1870 and is well figured in Gartenflora. Maximowicz 

 claims that the seeds and his two plants came from the Nikko alps but if this is 

 not a mistake it is strange that no other collector has seen the plant in this locality 

 which is fully two hundred miles north of where it has been seen wild by subse- 

 quent observers. Further, no one else has found it in alpine regions anywhere in 

 Japan. However, there is no doubt that the plant under discussion is Maxi- 

 mowicz's species. What happened to the original introduction I do not know 

 but neither Bean nor Millais mention its cultivation in England. In 1914 I sent 

 to the Arnold Arboretum seeds of this plant from Shikoku some of which were 

 sent to England. Plants raised from this seed in the Arnold Arboretum have not 

 proved very hardy. 



A form with double flowers is: 



Rhododendron linearifolium var. macrosepalum f. dianthiflorum 

 Wilson, n. comb. 



Azalea dianthiflora Carriere in Rev. Hort. 1889, 391; 1891, 60, fig. 18, t. 

 Rhododendron dianthiflorum Millais, Rhodod. 155 (1917). 



Japan: Hondo, prov. Mikawa, Pine-woods, Futagawa, May 9, 

 1918, E. H. Wilson (No. 10,350). 



Cultivated: ex Hort. James Veitch & Sons, June 28, 1904 (Herb. 

 Kew). 



1 have seen at Futagawa one or two plants growing wild with double flowers. 

 The pedicels are more spreading than in the type and the calyx-lobes are variable 

 in length. Carriere's figures give a good idea of this form except that the color is 

 brighter and more pleasing than the plate shows. According to Carriere it was 

 introduced into France from Japan in 1889 by M. Wiesener, of Fontenay-aux- 

 Roses. The specimen in Herb. Kew shows that it was cultivated by Messers Veitch 

 in 1904. Bean does not mention it and Millais's account is abbreviated from Car- 

 riere's description. 1 have no knowledge of its being in the gardens of this country. 



