288 GENERAL REVIEW. 



slender-habited Rhododendron, with elegant white flowers like 

 those of a Rhododendron in form, and suffused with lilac. 

 Rhododendron hybridum glaucum (see ' Bot. Reg.,' t. 193) is a 

 hybrid between an Azalea and R. maximum, the latter being 

 the pollen-parent. This differs from the above plant in having 

 glaucous leaves and an erect arborescent stem. R. azaleoides 

 is supposed to be a mule between an Azalea and a Rho- 

 dodendron (see ' Bot. Mag.,' t. 2308). Mr J. Anderson- 

 Henry has raised hybrids between Indian Azaleas and Rhodo- 

 dendrons, and the same result has been obtained by Con- 

 tinental growers between Rhododendrons and the yellow- 

 flowered A. sinensis. This close relationship or consanguinity 

 might be turned to useful account by using seedling Rhodo- 

 dendrons as stocks for Azaleas to increase their vigour ; and, 

 vice versa, to limit the exuberance of the Rhododendron, and 

 induce it to flower earlier and in a dwarf state. Several hand- 

 some cross-bred varieties of Azalea mollis are figured in ' Flore 

 des Serres,' 1874, p. 155-161, and these figures will always be 

 interesting, as showing the range of improvement hereafter 

 effected by future cross-breeding and cultivation. The Indian 

 Azaleas have ten stamens, while the Ghent and American 

 varieties have but five ; still, for all practical purposes, they are 

 identical. Numerous seminal forms of A. laterita have been 

 produced in Continental gardens ; and it is interesting to find 

 that a baker of Ghent, M. Mortier, occupied his leisure in 

 crossing the Turkish A. pontica (of which there are natural 

 varieties varying in colour from yellow and white through all 

 the shades of orange to a deep bronze or copper colour) with 

 the N. American A. calendulacea, A. viscosa, and A. nudiflora, 

 and so originated a very brilliant and useful group of hardy 

 decorative plants. Azaleas may now be considered in the 

 same category with Pelargoniums, Pansies, Cinerarias, and 

 other florists' flowers, since there appears to be no limit to the 

 seminal varieties they bring forth ; and even the plants " sport " 

 or " break," as is the case with tricolor Pelargoniums and some 

 other plants. 



Erica (Heaths}. A w r ell-known family of decorative plants, 

 some being natives of Europe, but the finest species come from 

 the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Heaths have not resisted the 

 pervading influence of the great law of nature. Mr Storey, 

 formerly of Isleworth, produced some remarkable plants of both 

 Erica and Epacris forty or fifty years ago : of the former, some 

 varieties of the section belonging to E. vestita were especially 

 ornamental ; and of the latter were varieties, with tubular flowers, 

 resembling E. impressa and E. grandiflora, of very great beauty. 



