CHAP. LXIX. 



.ERICA^EiE. tfHODODE'NDRON. 



1 147 



more perfectly lovely than this. Its leaves, of the richest and 

 deepest green, mellowed by the warm tone of their under surface; 

 its large clusters of bell-shaped flowers, hanging loosely, yet com- 

 pactly, by their slender stalks; and the half-transparent snowy 

 corollas ; form together an effect which few objects could rival, and 

 none surpass." (Bot. Reg., July, 1834.) This variety and R. a. 

 rdsetim, as already remarked, are found at an elevation of 10,000 ft. 

 above the level of the sea ; and Dr. Wallich states that they are 

 confined to the single mountain of Sheopore : 7?. a. roseum is 

 there by far the most common variety. He says, " They attain the 

 size of very large forest trees, and are noble objects at all times. 

 They blossom simultaneously in April, in which state their beauty 

 surpasses description, the ample crown of the trees being entirely 

 covered with bunches of large and elegant blossoms." The common 

 red-flowered, or parent, species (R. a. sanguineum) is also found on 

 Sheopore ; but it is less frequent there than in lower situations, 

 where it blossoms a month earlier than the varieties. The hardiness 

 of the varieties of any species being proved, affords a presumption 

 that the species itself is only accidentally tender, and that, after 

 some generations, it may become hardy. 



R. a. 4 cinnamomeum; R. cinnamomeum Wall. Cat., No. 760., and Don's 

 Mill, hi. p. 384. ; has the leaves clothed with an intense rusty to- 

 mentum beneath ; and corollas like those of R. a. niveum, but not 

 of so clear a white, and spotted with brown instead of purple. It 

 was introduced from Nepal in 1817, and flowered for the first time 

 in the Chelsea Botanic Garden in 1832. 



R. a. 5 venustuni D.Don, Brit. Fl.-Gard., May, 1835, 2d ser., t. 285., 

 is a hybrid, and an exceedingly showy and interesting plant. It 

 was raised by Mr.Wm. Smith 



nurseryman, Norbiton Com- 

 mon, near Kingston, Surrey, 

 from seeds of R. caucasicum, 

 that had been fertilised by 

 the pollen of R. arboreum, 

 and appears hardier than the 

 species. 



Other varieties and hybrids of R. arboreum 

 and other half-hardy species may be found in 

 the nurseries, some with and others without 

 names; some of them rather tender, and others, 

 such as R, a. altaclere use {fig. 952.) quite hardy 

 or nearly so. The names of several new va- 

 rieties will doubtless appear in the nursery- 

 men's catalogues, and in the botanical periodi- 

 cals, before this work is completed : for there 

 are many hundreds of seedlings of R. arboreum 

 fertilised with hardy species; and hardy species 

 fertilised with R. arbdreum. in Knight's 

 Exotic Nursery, in the Norbiton Common 



Nursery, and "in various others, which are now (Sept. 1, 1836) showing blossom buds for the 

 first time. Many of these hybrids will appear, be recorded, and afterwards, when they are sup- 

 planted by others of still newer origin, lost. 



* 29. R. campanula* tum D. Do?i. The beU-shape-flowered Rhododendron. 



Identification. D. Don in Wern. Mem., 3. p. 409. ; Prod. Fl. Nep., p. 153. ; Don's Mill., 3. p. 844. 

 Engravings. Lodd. Bot. Cab., 1. 1944. ; Swt. Fl.-Gard., 2d s., t. 241. ; and our fig. 953. 



Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves elliptic-oblong, mucronate, rusty beneath, rather 

 cordate at the base. Segments of corolla flat, emarginate. Ovarium 

 6-celled, glabrous. Under surfaces of leaves clothed with fine scaly pu- 

 bescence, at first of a purplish hue, then changing to nearly white, 

 and afterwards to a deep ferruginous brown. Flowers copious, disposed 

 in corymbose clusters. Pedicels glabrous. Bracteas fringed. Corollas 

 large, pale pink, changing to white, having the upper lip marked with 

 irregular purple spots. Filaments bearded at the base. This species 

 surpasses all others in the size of its flowers, except one found in Java by 



