Re 
278 BaLFour—NEw SPECIES OF RHODODENDRON. 
record here evidence of the spread of the type of Rh. grande 
to areas far outside Bhutan. In these pages are described 
two distinct species :—one from the Shweli-Salween Divide in 
Yunnan on the Burmese-Chinese frontier—Rh. sino-grande, Balf. 
f. et W. W. Sm.; one from the Mekong-Yangtze Divide in 
Northern Yunnan—Ra. praestans, Balf. f. et W. W. Sm. 
Rhododendron sphaeranthum, Balf. f. et W. W. Sm. 
Frutex aromaticus lediformis virgatus ad 12 dm. altus laxe 
ramosus. Ramuli hornotini circ. t mm. lati fulvi squamis longe- 
stipitatis porriginosi seniores nigricantes et stipitibus albidis 
squamularum decapitatarum setulosi tandem decorticantes. 
Alabastrorum oblongorum acutiusculorum perulae mox deciduae 
externae spadiceae coriaceae anguste elongato-triangulares circ. 
3 mm. longae 1 mm. latae extus lepidotae margine ciliatae intus 
puberulae interiores anguste subspathulatae obtusae circ. 6 mm. 
longaeI mm. lataemembranaceae extus lepidotae margineciliatae. 
Folia petiolata ad 2.5 cm. longa crasse coriacea ; lamina anguste 
oblonga ad 2.2 cm. longa ad 8 mm. lata apice obtusa vel sub- 
rotundata corneo-mucronulata margine integra revoluta pedibus 
squamarum delapsarum exasperata basi obtusa vel subcuneatim 
angustata supra atro-viridis (costa media subsulcata venarum 
reti caeteroquin inconspicuo) squamarum juvenilium vestigiis 
conspersis notata subtus porriginosa plus minusve fulva squamis: 
contiguis persistentibus stipitatis ex umbone convexo institaque 
fimbriata aedificatis paucis majoribus longiusque stipitatis 
umbone fuscescente stratum superius facientibus caeteris brev- 
iter stipitatis pallide flavido-viridibus in stratum inferius densum 
dispositis ; petiolus vix 3 mm. longus lepidotus. Flores rosei 
vel albi ad extremitates ramulorum strictorum laxe foliatorum 
in umbellas capituliformes multifloras rhachi lepidota con- 
gesti; bracteae steriles late ovatae coriaceae circ. 6 mm. longae 
extus lepidotae margine ciliatae intus puberulae fertiles ramen- 
taceae circ. 7 mm. longae 3 mm. latae subobovatae vel spathu- 
latae ciliatae extus furfuraceo-lepidotae ; prophylla spathulata 
5 mm. longa 0.5 mm lata calyce multo longiora lepidota et 
lanata ; pedicelli brevissimi circ. 1 mm. longi lepidoti. Calyx 
parvus crateriformis vix I mm. longus ad medium fissus lobis 
rotundatis ciliatis extus interdum squamis paucis lepidotis intus 
glabris. Corollae 1.6 cm. longae tubus cylindricus paullo 
curvatus circ. I cm. longus extus puberulus intus villosulus, 
limbi plani discus circ. 1.5 mm. latus, lobi rotundati circ. 4.5 mm. 
diam. imbricati integri subtus interdum sparsissime lepidoti. 
Stamina 5 circ. 6 mm. longa filamentis supra basim minute 
puberulis antheris oblongis 1 mm. longis. Ovarium ovoideum 
circ. 2 mm. longum 5-lobatum squamis contiguis parvis lepi- 
