XLIII. ^rica'cejE : jRHODODE'NDRON. 



585 



379., and our Jig. 1 102. ; is a hybrid between R. ponticum and 

 some species of Azalea with fragrant blossoms. It was originated 

 about 1820, and is a favourite in collections. 

 R. p. 1 frdgrans Chandler {Herb. Amaryll. p. 356.) was raised in 

 the Vauxhall Nursery. 



Xiirsery Varieties. The following are cultivated by Messrs. Loddiges : 



R. p. album. 



angustiftlium. 



angusti'ssimum. 



nrliutHiiliuiii. 



broiiii'l/<r/u//M>. 



bulliltum. 



cassineioMum. 



R. p. cserulescens. 

 contortum. 

 crispum. 

 fl. pleno. 

 fol. argcnteis. 

 fol. aureis. 

 fol. marginiltis. 



R. p. frondftsum. 

 grandifldrum. 

 incarnatuin. 

 intermtdium. 

 V.'A\mia'fblium. 

 macrophyllum. 

 nivaticum. 



R. p. obtiisum. 

 ov!\tum. 

 pygmce'um. 

 rd.seum. 

 alicif61ium 

 spectabile. 

 2iioliceum. 



i 



The i?hodod^ndron ponticum is the commonest species of the genus in 

 British gardens, where it grows to the height of from 5 ft. to 15 ft., or up- 

 wards ; forming a dense bush, which will spread over a large space, if it be 

 I allowed abundance of room. In proper soil, if kept moist, the plant will 

 ' make shoots, when young, of 1 ft. or more in length in a season, attaining the 

 height of 4 or 5 feet in 5 or 6 years : but afterwards it grows more slowly ; 

 and, when a large bush, seldom makes shoots above 6 in. in length. It ap- 

 |iears to be of considerable durability. In cool, loamy or sandy, and some- 

 what moist soils, it is planted in woods as ornamental undergrowth, and 

 succeeds perfectly, both in England and Scotland. It will grow in almost 

 :iny soil ; but, in England, it seems to thrive best in sandy peat, or deep 

 I sandy loam. In the common manured earth of gardens it succeeds worse 

 than in unmanured loams of a close texture, even strong clays, particularly 

 ! if the latter be kept moist. The want of tenacity of the manured garden soil 

 (alluded to, more especially in a dry season, seems not to allow it to cohere 

 j sufficiently to the small hair-like roots of this order of plants, to enable their 

 ! very minute spongioles to imbibe nourishment from it. 



2. R. ma'ximuhi L. The largest Rhododendron, or American Rose Bay. 



Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., p. 5C3. ; Don's Mill., 3. 



p. 84.3. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. 

 Engravi7tgs. Lam. III., 364. ; Schmidt Baum., 1. 121. ; 



and our Jig. 1103. 



Spec. Char., SiC Arborescent. Leaves 

 elliptic-oblong, acute, convex, bluntish 

 at the base, whitish or rusty beneath, 

 glabrous. Calycine segments oval- 

 obtuse. Segments of corolla roundish. 

 Flowers pale red, in umbellate co- 

 rymbs, studded with green, yellow, or 

 purple protuberances. (Don's Mill.) 

 An evergreen shrub. Canada to 

 Carolma, on the mountains, near rivu- 

 lets and lakes, upon rocks and barren 



I soils. Height 10 ft. to 15 ft. Intro- 



I duced in 1736. Flowers pale red, and yellowish ; 



i June to August, Capsules brown ; ripe in 



i September. 



Varieties. 



' * R. VI. 2 album Hort. Flowers pure white, 



and is comparatively rare in British gar- 

 i dens. 



R. m. 3 hybridum Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 3454. 



(and our fig. 1104.) R. fragrans Hort., 



R. hjbridum Lodd. Cat. Supposed to 



be a hybrid originated by fertilising the 



common white glaucous-leaved Azalea 



with the pollen of R. maximum. This 



I maximum. 



1104. R. m. hybndum. 



