HEATH FAMILY. 269 



yellow flowers, terminating naked branches, the tube clammy-downy ; 

 leaves large and oblong-obovate. Less cult, in this country than the next. 

 R. Sinense, Sweet. GARDEN AZALEA. Bushy shrub, with clusters of 

 mostly shorter red or yellow flowers on leafy branches ; leaves smaller, 

 oval or elliptic. Two types are in cultivation. One, the GHENT AZALEA, 

 commonly called AZ\LEA SINENSIS by gardeners, has flowers with narrow 

 corolla tube which appear with the leaves. The other type, called 

 A. MOLLIS, has broader flowers which appear in advance of the leaves. 



* * RHODORA. Leaves deciduous; corolla strongly irregular, the upper 

 pcrrt S-lobed, the lower of 2 nearly or quite separate pieces; 10 stamens 

 and the style protruded. 



R. Rhoddra, Don. Cold wet grounds, from Penn. N. and E. ; low 

 shrub, with handsome rose-pink flowers in spring, somewhat earlier than 

 the pale, rather hairy leaves. 



* * * CHINESE AZALEAS, with thickish almost or quite evergreen leaves, 

 rather leafy calyx, short-tubed corolla approaching to bell-shaped, and 

 often 10 stamens, the latter and the style scarcely or not at all exserted. 



R. Indicum, Sweet (or AZALEA INDICA). Cult, from China and 

 Japan, etc.; is however the AZALEA of florists, flowering in late winter 

 and early spring in conservatories, with red, purple, pink, white, or varie- 

 gated showy flowers, green rather shining leaves, and shoots beset with 

 appressed awl- shaped rusty bristles. 



* * * * RHODODENDRON PROPER. Leaves thick and usually persistent ; 

 stamens generally 10, which, like the style, are somewhat declined or 

 equally spreading, but rarely exserted. 



H- Leaves thick and evergreen, smooth ; branches stiff and erect ; flowers 

 in early summer from very large terminal buds ; corolla broadly bell- 

 shaped. 



R. maximum, Linn. GREAT R. or WILD LAUREL. Mountain sides, 

 abundant through the Alleghanies, and K, sparingly to Me. and Can. ; 

 6-20 high, with lance-oblong leaves (4'-10' long) narrowish below, 

 clammy pedicels, and pale rose or nearly white corolla (!' broad), greenish 

 in the throat, on the upper side more or less spotted with yellow or red- 

 dish ; flowers midsummer. 



R. Catawbiense, Michx. High Alleghanies from Va. S., and planted ; 

 3-6 high, with oval or oblong leaves rounded at both ends and pale 

 beneath (3'-5' long), usually rusty pedicels, and large, light purple or lilac 

 corolla ; flowers early Summer. This, hybridized with other less hardy 

 species, especially with the next, and with the tender R. arbdreum, 

 Smith, of the Himalayas (cult, in conservatories), gives rise to most of 

 the various Rhododendrons of ornamental grounds. The forms partaking 

 most largely of Catawbiense characteristics are distinguished by broad and 

 flat, slightly obovate and broad-pointed, glossy leaves, and by mauve or 

 light blue-purple flowers. 



R. Pdnticum, Linn. From Asia Minor, hardy when planted N. only 

 as a low shrub, has obovate-lanceolate leaves tapering to the base, and 

 a very open bell-shaped dark purple corolla, in late spring. Ponticum 

 varieties have narrow leaves with narrow points, with a tendency to 

 become revolute and less glossy than the Catawbiense type, and by less 

 pronounced lilac or mauve tints. 



- *- Leaves evergreen, but thinnish ; branches slender and spreading or 

 drooping, roughish ; flowers in early summer. 



R. punctatum. Andr. Along the mountains from N. C., S., and spar- 

 ingly planted ; 4-6 high, with oblong or lance-oblong leaves acute at 



