222 McDowdVs Rhododeiidron. 



tiful water-colored drawing, kindly forwarded to us by an old 

 friend, J. Van Buren, of Clarksville, Ga., accompanied by the an- 

 nexed description : 

 "Deab Sir, 



" I send you a drawing- and a leaf of the Rhodo- 

 dendron recently discovered by Mr. McDowell in the mountains of 

 N. Carolina. It has been exhibited to most of our best qualified 

 botanists in the U. S., all of which, with one exception, pronounce 

 it to be a new and undescribed species. Professor Cartis, of S. 

 Carolina, says it is the Catawbiense ; Buckley, who, next to Xut- 

 tall, is our best practical botanist, says it is a new species. 



I have been acquainted with all the Ehododendrons of the U. S. 

 for many years, and say it is entirely distinct from the variety I 

 have always supposed to be Catawbiense, which is very abundant 

 with us, and of which I have a hedge growing on my place. I 

 have another one growing, of which I have never yet seen the 

 flowers, which, I think, will also prove to be new and distinct. 

 Next season will determine it, as it has formed flower buds this 

 fall. It has a hirsute or pubescent leaf, which distinguishes it 

 from R Maximum, R Punctatum, R Catawbiense, and the new one 

 described by myself in October number of the ' Southern Cultiva- 

 tor.' 



It is a nameless and undescribed variety of Rhododendron ; 

 there is, however, a traditionary account of its discovery some 60 

 years since, by a botanist by the name of Fraser, then exploring 

 this country, under the patronage of the then Emperor Paul, of 

 Russia. Fraser died suddenly on his return to St. Petersburgh, 

 which, probably, is the cause of an account of it never having 

 been published. 



The annual burning of the forest in which it grows, usually 

 destroys it, so that it is extremely difficult to find a specimen of 

 it. Some four or five years since, however, S. McDowell, Esq., of 

 Franklin, Macon Co., North Carolina, re-discovered this truly gor- 

 geous plant, and for a year or two past has been engaged in pro- 

 pagating them, by removing the plants to his garden near that 

 place. The shrub grows to the height of 4 or 5 feet, and is of 

 easy cultivation ; tlie foliage is larger and more rich than that 

 of the Pontic varieties, with which we have compared it ; the pa- 

 nicles of flowers, too, are larger and more brilliant in color. Mr. 

 McDowell sent us a box of the flowers in June, which we com- 



