ENTJMEBATION OP THE SPECIES 105 



it was a familiar plant in gardens round Boston, Mass., in 1838. In this Arboretum 

 the Pontic Azalea is not properly hardy. This Azalea has been much used in 

 hybridising and crosses between it and various American species have originated 

 the popular " Ghent Azaleas " of gardens which should be known as x R. ganda- 

 vense Rehder. 1 According to Millais (Rhodod. [1917]) A. Waterer has crossed R. 

 hdeum and R. molle and such a hybrid is figured by Millais opposite page 198. 



A variety with large flowers is: — 



Rhododendron luteum var. macranthum Wilson, n. comb. 



Rhododendron flavum var. macranthum Bean, Trees and.Shrubs Brit. Isl. II. 357 

 (1914). — Millais, Rhodod. 165 (1917). 



The flowers of this variety are described as being 6.5 cm. wide. 



There is also the obscure: — 



rhododendron loureiriana G. Don, Gen. Syst. III. 846 (1834). — 



Maximowicz in Mem. Acad. Sci. St. Peter sbourg, s&\ 7, XVI. No. 9, 



49 (Rhodod. As. Or.) (1870). — Millais, Rhodod. 204 (1917). 



Azalea punctata Loureiro Fl. Cochinch. 113 (1790). 



This is said to be native of Cochinchina and was described with lanceolate, 

 glabrous leaves scabrous at the margin and with a white corolla dotted with red, 

 as are also the calyx, anthers and ovary. No Azalea answering this description has 

 since been found, and very probably Loureiro made a mistake in referring his plant 

 to that genus. 



These are all the Azaleas at present known from the Old World but Dumont 

 de Courset (Bot. Cult. ed. 2, III. 337 [1811]) mentions Azalea fimbriata, A. lugens 

 and A. vittata. He gives no descriptions but says the first two are from China, 

 the third from the Indies, and that they are growing in English gardens. Probably 

 they are referable to R. Simsii or R. indicum but it is impossible to identify them 

 with certainty. In Iwasaki's Japanese Herbal, Phonzo Zoufou, issued in 1828, a 

 number of colored pictures of Azaleas are given. These figures are so crudely 

 drawn that I find it impossible to determine, with any degree of certainty, what 

 species and forms they represent. However, in the new edition, now being issued 

 under the editorship of Messers Shirai & Onuma, technical names are given, and 

 in Volume XX (Poisonous Plants, pt. 3) K. Onuma makes three new combina- 

 tions. If his determinations are correct his R. macranthum var. polypetalum should 

 be referred as a synonym to R. indicum f. polypetalum Wils., his R. macranthum 

 f. semperflorens to R. indicum f . variegalum DC, and his R. Nakaharai var. line- 

 arifolium to R. linearifolium S. & Z. 



1 See page 178. 



