ERICACEAE. — RHODODENDRON 519 



purple); north of Tachicn-lu, Ta-p'ao-shan, alt. 2600-3600 m., July 

 9, 1908 (No. 1196''; bush 2-3 m. tall, flowers purple); south-east of 

 Tachien-lu, woodlands, alt. 3000-3300 m., September 1908 (No. 1201; 

 bush 1-2 m. tall); near Tachien-lu, alt. 3000 m., June 1908 (No. 341 1; 

 bush 1-4 m. tall, flowers dark purple); same locality, woods, alt. 

 2600-3000 m., October 1910 (No. 4236; bush 1.5-3 m. tall); without 

 precise locality, alt. 2600-3000 m., May and October 1904 (Veitch 

 Exped. No. 3942 and seed Nos. 1766, 1879). Western Hupeh : Fang 

 Hsien, thickets, alt. 1600-2300 m.. May 27, 1907 (No. 3456; bush 1- 

 2 m. tall, flowers white to rosy-purple) ; Changyang Hsien, cliffs, alt. 

 1600 m., April 1907 (No. 3456'^; bush 2 m. tall); without precise lo- 

 cality. May 1900 (Veitch Exped. No. 1969). Shensi : \vithout precise 

 locality, 1910, W. Purclom (No. 1). 



This is a very common species in the margins of woods and thickets throughout 

 western Szech'uan. It is comparatively rare in Hupeh where it shows a slight vari- 

 ation from the typical form, the leaves being rather thinner and usually longer. 

 In No. 1196" the corolla is slightly pubescent on the outer surface. Ilemsley & 

 Wilson reduced this species to R. concinnwn Hemsley, which has, however, a dif- 

 ferent shaped corolla and usually hairy style. 



We think it best to keep the two as distinct species, though their relationship ia 

 very close. Much confusion has already arisen in regard to this species, as the 

 synonyms show. In the fruiting stage it is very difficult to distinguish it from R. 

 amhiguum Hemsley which has, however, usually stouter capsules and leaves more 

 glaucescent below. 



Rhododendron yanthinum, var. lepidanthum Rehder & Wilson, n. 

 var. 



A typo recedit corolla extus sparse basim versus densius albido- 

 villosa et flavo-lepidota atropurpurea, calyce densissime flavo-lepidoto. 



Western Szech'uan: west and near Wen-ch'uan Hsien, thickets, 

 alt. 2500 m. July 1908 (No. 3419, type); west of Kuan Hsien, Pan- 

 lan-shan, margins of woods, alt. 2600-3000 m., October 1910 (Nos. 

 4041, 4241, in part). 



This variety is distinguished from the type by the markedly villose outer surface 

 of the corolla and by the deeper colored, handsomer flowers. We at first thought 

 this a distinct species until we found amongst the typical R. yanthinum Franchet a 

 Bpecimen having the corolla very s]>arsely pubescent on the outer surface. 



This variety is local but fairly common throughout the regions mentioned above. 



Rhododendron bracteatum Rehder & Wilson, n. sp. 



Frutex 1-2-metralis; ramuli graciles, hornotini purpurei, sparse 

 lepidoti, annotini brunnei, vetustiores fusco-cinerei v. flavido-cinerei; 

 gemmae floriferae globoso-ovoideae, perulis paucis rotundatis mucro- 



