Ericacee—A salen. 285 
2. A. calendulacea.— A North American species of about 
the same stature. Leaves obovate-oblong, hairy. Calyx-lobes 
oblong. Tube of the corolla shorter than the lobes, hairy. 
Flowers large, numerous, orange-coloured. 
3. A. nudiflora.—Near the last in characters, and from the 
same regions. Corolla-tube glandular, scarcely exceeding the 
broad lobes. The flowers vary from pink to deep purple. Both 
flower in Spring. 
A, viscdsa and A. arboréscens, North American species, pro- 
duce the flowers before the leaves, the former having a long 
tube to the corolla, and the latter being quite smooth in all its 
parts. 
The foregoing forms, in conjunction with A. viscosa and A. 
speciosa, and perhaps some other species or wild varieties what- 
ever they may be, have given birth to the numerous varieties 
now in cultivation, partially from natural variation and 
partially by intercrossing. In colour they range from white 
through every shade of yellow, orange, and red to crimson, and 
many uncommon intermediate tints. There are also hybrid 
forms between some of these and the true Rhododendrons, 
Fig. 160. Azalea Indica. Fig. 161. Azalea liliiflora. (4 nat. size.) 
(} nat. size.) 
especially between Rh. Poénticwm and A. Siménsis, syn. A. 
mollis, a species very near A. Poéntica, with larger yellow or 
orange flowers and elliptical leaves. The hybrid called Rh. 
preecoe supérbum has flowers in the shape of an Azdlea, of 
a lilac colour, and very small dark green persistent leaves, 
