N. O. ERICACEAE. 735 



A small shrub, with aromatic odour ; 1ft. Branchlets sca- 

 brous and scaly. Leaves 1-l^in. long, elliptic or broad-oblong, 

 shining above, broad-tomentose, and as it were tomentose from 

 the layer of glands, petiole iiin. long. Flowers yellow, in dense 

 terminal corymbs. Calyx-lobes oblong or elliptic membranous, 

 ciliate. Corolla tubular, with a dilated mouth ; tube Jin. long ; 

 lobes obovate, entire, spreading. Stamens 6-8 ; Ovary scaly. 

 Capsule I'm. long, ovoid. Seeds oblong, subacute. Testa lax, 

 not produced even at the ends. 



Uses: — The leaves are aromatic, and their smoke is consider- 

 ed useful in some diseases. They are supposed to have stimu- 

 lant properties (Stewart). The leaves are administered as 

 errhine to produce sneezing (Honnigberger). 



This is one of the species which is thought by the Bhutias 

 to excite the headache and nausea which attends ascents to 

 the high elevations of the Eastern Himalaya. (Sir J. D. 

 Hooker.) 



711. R. cinnabar inum, Hook. /. h.f.b.l, iit. 474. 



Vern. : — Biilu (Nepal) ; Kema, kechung (Lepcha). 



Habitat: — Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim and Bhutan. 



A large shrub, 4-8ft. Bark thin, reddish-grey. Wood light- 

 greyish or yellowish- white, moderately hard, even-grained, warps. 

 Leaves 2-3 by 1-1 Jin., acute or obtuse, beneath nearly white or 

 cinnamoneous, with scattered gland scales, oblong or elliptic. 

 Petioles terminal or clustered, i-iin. Pedicels i-Jin., squamous 

 or glabrous. Bracts glabrous, with ciliate margins. Flowers, 

 says C. B. Clarke, orange-rose or brick-red. FJowers scarlet, 

 says Gamble ; orange or brick red says Brandis. Calyx-lobes 

 small, unequal or obsolete. Corolla- tube long, narrow, campanu- 

 late, lobes ovate, H by |in., pendulous. Stamens 10. Fila- 

 ments pilose at base. Ovary 5-celled, glandular scaly. Capsule 

 i-i by iin. Seeds ovoid or trigonous. Testa close, hardly pro- 

 duced at all. A most variable plant says Clarke. 



Use: — The leaves are universally considered poisonous to 

 cattle and goats. If employed as fuel, the smoke causes eyes 

 to inflame and the face to swell (Hooker). 



