ERICACEAE. — RHODODENDRON 505 



Rhododendron trichostomum Franchet in Jour, de Bot. IX. 396 

 (1895). — Schneider, III. Handb. Lauhholzk. II. 481 (1909). 



Rhododendron fragrans Franchet, var. parviflora Franchet in Bull. Sac. Bot. 

 France, XXXIV. 284 (1887). 



Western Szech'uan: west of Tachien-lu, Tongolo, moorland 

 thickets and heaths, alt. 3300-4300 m., June and September 1908 

 (No. 1328; bush 1-2 m. tall, flowers rose-pink); without precise 

 locality, alt. 3500 m., June 1904 (Veitch Exped. No. 3929). 



The size of the calyx varies considerably in this species as it does in all species 

 in which the bud-scales and bracts subtending the flowers are persistent. The 

 small, pale pink flowers readily distinguish this plant from its Chinese allies. It 

 is, however, very closely allied to R. fragrans Maximowiez which has large, more 

 rugulose leaves, larger flowers and a different calyx. 



Sect. 2. Lepipherum G. Don (Osmothamnus Maxim). 



Corolla funnelform to campanulate-rotate, stamens exceeding its tube; flowers 

 terminal. Leaves densely lepidote on both surfaces except in Group e. 



Group a. 



Stamens slightly exceeding the tube, style shorter than the tube of the purple 

 corolla, not villose at the mouth. 



Rhododendron intricatum Franchet in Jour. deBot.lX. 395 (1895). — 

 Hemsley in Gard. Chron. ser. 3, XLI. 262, fig. Ill (1907). — Hems- 

 ley in Bot. Mag. CXXX. t. 8163 (1907). — Schneider, III. Handb. 

 Laubholzk. II. 481, fig. 317 d-f (1909). — Hemsley & Wilson in Keiv 

 Bull. Misc. Inform. 1910, 118. 



Rhododendron blepharocalyx Franchet in Jour, de Bot. IX. 396 (1895). — 



Schneider, III. Handb. Laubholzk. II. 481 (1909). 

 Rhododendron nigropunctatum Hort. in Gard. Chron. ser. 3, XLI. 225 (non 



Franchet) (1907). — Jour. Hort. ser. 3, LIV. 343, fig. (1907). 



Western Szech'uan: north of Tachicn-lu, Ta-p'ao-shan, moor- 

 lands, alt. 4000-5000 m., July 7, 1908 (No. 3466; bush 30 cm.-l m. 

 tall, flowers purple); grass lands around Tachien-lu, alt. 3000-5000 m., 

 June 1904 (Veitch Exped. No. 3934). 



This is a very common alpine shrub in the neighborhood of Tachien-lu. We 

 find the characters on which R. blepharocalyx Franchet is founded arc not con- 

 stant. On specimens before us, flowers on the same branch have the calyx- 

 lobes small, non-ciliolate, with marginal scales and sparingly ciliolate lobes with 

 or without marginal scales; while others have very markedly ciliolate calyx-lobes. 

 In size the calyx varies considerable even on the same shoot, as it does in all these 



