CHAP. LXIX. .EIIICA'CE^E. /ZHODODE'NDRON. 1131 



i. Pbnticum D. Don. 



Sect. Char. Limb of calyx short, 5-lobed. Corolla campanulate. Sta- 

 mens 10, Ovarium 5-celled. Leaves coriaceous, evergreen. (Don's 

 Mill., iii. p. 843.) 



* \. R. PO'NTICUM L. The Pontic Rhododendron, or Rose Bay. 



Identification. Lin. Sp., 562. ; Don's Mill, 3. p. 843. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 18.36.. 



Engravings. Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. -W. t. 29. ; Jacq. Icon. Rar., 1. t. 78. ; Lam. III., t. 364. ; Bot. Mag., 

 t. G50. ; and our Jig. 931. 



Spec. Char., $c. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, glabrous on 

 both surfaces, attenuated towards the thick petioles, 

 with a streak on the upper surface, of a wide lanceolate 

 form. Racemes short, corymbose. Leaves sometimes 

 becoming ferruginous beneath. Corolla purple, or pur- 

 plish pink, large ; with ovate, acute, or lanceolate 

 segments. Calyx minute, 5-toothed, somewhat cartila- 

 ginous. (Dow's Mill., iii. p. 843.) An evergreen shrub ; 

 a native of Pontus (now Armenia), in Asia Minor, 

 where it grows to the height of 10ft. or 12 ft.; flower- \PY * 031 

 ing in May and June. It was introduced in 1763, and 

 is frequent in British gardens. 



Varieties. 



* R. p. 2 obtusum Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 162., Don's Mill., iii. p. 843., 



has the leaves subcordate, coriaceous, obtuse, and the calyx very 

 short, and unequally and undulately crenated. It grows from 3 ft. to 

 4 ft. high, and has purple flowers. Found wild in Armenia. 



* R. p. 3 mt/rtifo/ium Lodd. Bot. Cab., t. 908., Don's Mill., iii. p. 843., 



has the leaves small, and the flowers purple. It is a native of 

 Gibraltar. 



* R. p. 4 Snuthii Swt. Brit. Fl.-Gard., n. s., t. 50., Don 9 * Mill, iii. p. 843., 



has the leaves lanceolate, and clothed with white tomentum beneath ; 

 corymbs many-flowered; ovarium tomentose, and 10-celled. The 

 flowers are of a rosy purple, approaching to crimson, elegantly spotted 

 with black. A hybrid, raised by Mr. Smith, at Coombe Wood, from 

 the seed of R. ponticum, impregnated by the pollen of R. arboreum* 



R. p. 5 Z/bi(m Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 190. Corolla white; the upper 

 segments marked by a few dull scarlet spots. This is a most striking 

 variety, originated by M. Jacob Makoy. It is named after Mr. 

 Low of Clapton. 



a * R. p. 6 azaleoides', R. azaleoides Desf. ; R. p. subdeciduum Andr. 

 Bot. Rep., t. 379., Hayn. AbbUd., t. 15. ; is a hybrid between R. pon- 

 ticum and some species of Azalea, with fragrant blossoms. It was 

 originated about 1820, and is a favourite in collections. There is a 

 subvariety, R. p. a. 2 odordtum Lodd. Cat., in which the flowers are 

 supposed to be more odoriferous than in R. p. azaleoides. 



Nursery Varieties. The following are cultivated by Messrs. Loddiges. 

 (Catalogue of Plants, $c., at Hackney, 16th ed., 1836.) 



R. p. klbum. It. p. fl. plfcno. /?. p. macrpph^llum. 



angustifblium. fol. argenteis. nivaticum. 



angustissimum. fol. afireis. obtftsum, 



arbutifblium. fol. marginatis. ovatum. 



\nome\i<rj(>lium frondbsum. pygmas x um. 



bullatum. grandiflbrum. rdseum. 



cassinefblium. incarnatum. salicifblium. 



ca?rul5scen8. intermedium. spec-labile. 



cont6rtum. ka\mia>f(>lium. tnolaceutn. 

 crfspunx 



Description. The Rhododendron ponticum is the commonest species of 

 the genus in British gardens, where it grows to the height of from 5 ft. to 

 15ft., or upwards; forming a dense bush, which will spread over a large 



