BHODODENDBON 



HEATH ORDER 



AZALEA 593 



from ij. catawhiense and B. ponticum in 

 Highclere Gardens, near Newbury. 



R. Harrisi. — A fine hybrid raised at 

 Singleton from JB. arboreuni and S. 

 Thomaoni by Mr. Harris, formerly gar- 

 dener to Lord Swansea. It forms a com- 

 pact sturdy bush and has oblong ovate 

 leaves about 6 in. long, deep green above, 

 paler beneath, with interlacing veins as in 

 R. Thomsoni. The deep rosy-crimson 

 flowers, with a few dark spots on the 

 upper segments of the corolla, are as large 

 as those of B. arhoreum, and have a 

 distinctly lobed cup-like calyx about a 

 quarter of an inch deep. The first flowers 

 borne by this hybrid appeared in the 

 autumn of 1897, but the normal flowering 

 period is in early spring. This is the first 

 recorded hybrid between B. arhoreum and 

 B. Thomsoni. 



Culture (Be. as above. 



R. kewense. — A beautiful hardy hybrid 

 between B. Aucklandi and B. hooheri. 

 It was first raised at Kew in 1874, but the 

 first flowers did not appear until 1888. 

 It is a fine bushy plant with shining green 

 leaves 6-10 in. long. The flowers which 

 appear in April and May are 3-4 in. across, 

 and are at first rich rose, but gradually 

 become paler in coloiu- ; some forms are 

 almost pure white. 



Culture dc. as above. It is much 

 hardier than either of its parents. 



R. Luscombei. — This was raised in 

 1880 by Mr. Luscombe, and is the result 

 of a cross between B. Fortunei and B. 

 Thomsoni. In AprU the bushes are 

 literally covered with the large clusters of 

 fine bright rosy -pink bell-shaped blossoms 

 which droop sofnewhat slightly but grace- 

 fully from the tips of the shoots. 



Culture &e. as above. 



R. Manglesi. — A magnificent hybrid 

 obtained by crossing B. AucMandi with 

 a hybrid variety called album elegans. 

 The flowers appear in April and May and 

 are 3-4 in. across, white, with numerous 

 reddish-purple spots on the upper segment 

 of the coroUa. 



Culture dc. as above. 



R. nobleanum. — This grand hybrid is 

 the result of crossing the Himalayan B. 

 arhoreum with the Caucasian JR. caucasi- 

 cum. It makes a noble bush or small 

 tree and produces its large clusters of 

 bright crimson bell-shaped flowers in 

 January and February. I have seen it 



looking bright and cheerful after fairly 

 hard frosts and when the snow has been 

 lying on the ground for days. Another 

 fine hybrid called B. pulcherrimum has 

 the same parentage as B. nohleamum. 



Culture do. as above. 



R. praecox. — A charming hardy hybrid 

 between B. cilAatum and B. dauricuin. 

 It makes a fine bushy plant about 3-4 ft. 

 high, and has elliptic leaves 1^-2 in. long. 

 The rosy-purple blossoms 1^2 in. across 

 are borne in great profusion from the end 

 of February and during March. There is 

 a fine deep coloured form called ruhrum. 



Culture dc. as above. 



R. roseum odoratum. — The parentage 

 of this hybrid is somewhat obscm'e, being 

 recorded simply as a cross between a 

 ' hardy white Azalea and a hardy scarlet 

 Ehododendron.' It produced fairly large 

 trusses of pale rosy sweet-scented flowers, 

 which individuallj' are not very large. 



Culture dc. as above. 



R. Shilsoni. — This brUliant hybrid was 

 raised by Mr. G-iU, gardener to Mr. H. 

 Shilson of Tremough, Penrhyn, Cornwall, 

 from B. harhatum and B. Thomsoni, and 

 is intermediate between the two. It 

 makes a fine bushy plant with oblong or 

 ovate-heart-shaped leathery leaves, 3-4 

 in. long, deep green above, paler beneath. 

 The brilliant crimson bell-shaped flowers 

 are about 2 in. across, and are produced 

 in rounded heads at the ends of the shoots 

 in April. 



Culture dc. as above. This fine hybrid 

 flowers profusely in the large Bhododen- 

 dron house at Kew in March. It seems 

 to be the first recorded hybrid between 

 B. harhatum and B. Thomsoni. 



AZALEA. — Although botanists are 

 pretty well agreed that Azaleas should be 

 known as Rhododendrons, gardeners are 

 of another opinion, and still retain both 

 names as representing two genera. The 

 chief differences between Azalea and 

 Bhododendron are that Azaleas are mostly 

 softly hairy shrubs, with deciduous or 

 evergreen, very rarely leathery leaves ; 

 flowers expanding before the new leaves 

 are developed, funnel- or bell-shaped, .4-5- 

 lobed, sometimes 2-lipped. Stamens 5 or 

 10, protruding. These characters, how- 

 ever, are met with singly or severally in 

 some Rhododendrons, so that botanicaUy 

 it is impossible to separate one genus 

 from the other, taken on the whole,' 



