Vol. 2 No. ii 



TORREYA 



F 



m u r >.!CAL 



November, 1902 



GARDEN 



FIELD NOTES ON RHODODENDRON CATAWBIENSE 



By W. A. Cannon 



On Roan Mountain, North Carolina, occur four kinds of laurel, 

 namely, the flame-colored azalea {Azalea luted), the great laurel 

 {Rhododendron maximum), the mountain laurel (R. Catazvbiense) 

 and the American or ivy laurel {Kalmia latifolid). I had a good 

 opportunity to observe these plants, especially the mountain 

 laurel, while spending the season collecting plants from the mid- 

 dle of June until October 1902, on the summit of Roan, and 

 since these observations were made with comparative difficulty, 

 it may be considered an economical measure, to record them ; 

 it is to be hoped that the facts presented although fragmentary, 

 may not of themselves be without interest. 



Where the Laurels grow 



When in June a visitor to Roan alights from the train at the 

 nearest railway station * and looks about him, he will have little 

 difficulty in seeing the American laurel, or " ivy " as it is called by 

 the mountaineers, which at the time is in full bloom. This rather 

 ornamental shrub is striking and beautiful, indeed, when covered 

 with its pink flowers. It may be seen on the banks of the Doe 

 River all the way to the foot of the mountain, which is about 1,000 

 feet above the station and five miles distant from it, but it is not 

 so abundant at a higher altitude although to be observed at 4,500 

 feet altitude. 



Associated with the American laurel is to be found the great 



* Roan Mountain on the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina R. R., 2,700 

 feet altitude, fifteen miles from the summit of Roan. 



[The exact date of publication of each issue of ToRREYA is given in the succeed- 

 ing number. Vol. 2, No. 10, comprising pages 145-160, was issued September 30, 

 1902.] 



161 



