Azalea mollis und Azalea sinensis, 515 
in „Wanderings . . . . in Chinä (1847) schreibt er auf pag. 90: „The native 
flora of the hills to the north of Ning po... I met here, for the first 
time in a wild state, the beautiful yellow Azalea sinensis. These hills are 
somewhat more barren than the most of the others in this part of the 
country, and there are few trees on them of any size“; und auf pag. 142: 
„but it is of course in spring that the Fa-tee gardens possess te greatest 
attractions . .. The azalea’s are splendid, and reminded of the exhibitions 
in the garden of the horticultural society at Chiswich, but the Fa-tee exhi- 
bitions were on a much larger scale. Every garden was one mass of 
bloom; and the different colours of red, white and purple, blended to- 
gether, had a most beautiful and imposing effect. The principal kinds 
grown were Azalea indica, indica alba, phoenicea, lateritia, variegata, and 
the yellow Azalea sinensis. I may mention in passing that-I found the 
latter plant wild on the Ningpo-hills; so that there in no doubt of its 
being a genuine Chinese species.“ Noch einmal, in „Residence among the 
Chinese (1857)* kommt er auf A. sinensis zurück bei der Beschreibung 
eines Spazierganges bei Ningpo zum Ayukas-Tempel: „...barren mountains 
covered with long grass and brushwood, which the industry of the Chinese 
is never likely to bring under cultivation. Both below and above, on the 
roadsides, in the hedges, and on every spot not under cultivation, wild 
flowers were blooming in the greatest profusion. In the hedges the last 
falling blossoms of the beautiful spring flowering Forsythia viridissima 
were still hanging on the brushes, while several species of wild roses, 
Spiraea Reevesiana, Ülematises and Glycine sinensis were just coming into 
bloom. But look a little higher up to that gorgeously pointed hillside, 
and see those masses of yellow and white flowers, what are they? The 
yellow is the lovely Azalea sinensis with its colours far more brilliant, and 
its trusses of flowers much larger tho they are ever seen in any of our 
exhibitions in Europe .... Amongst these, and scattered over the hillside 
are other Azalea’s, having flowers of many different hues, and all very 
beautiful.“ Schließlich. schreibt er in „A Journey to the tea counties of 
China“ 1852, p. 154: „All around (the ancient temple of Seiu-tung, situ- 
ated among the hills about 20 miles from Ningpo) wild flowers grew in 
great profusion. The yellow Azalea sinensis seemed to paint the hill sides, 
so large were its flowers and vivid the colours.“ | 
Maximowiez gibt als Standort seiner aus Japan mitgebrachten Pflanze: 
„in japonicae insulis Nippon, ad latera vulcani Fudsi alibique in alpibus, et 
Kiusiu (insel) principatu Simabara et Higo. variis locis, in fruticetis montium 
altiorum, ubique rarius. Colitur ubique in hortis.“ N 
Auch Asa Gray’s A. japonica ist aus Japan. Und weil wir mit genügender 
Wahrscheinlichkeit den Schluß gezogen haben, daß die Pflanzen von > 
Loddiges, Wells und Sweet unsere Azalea sinensis (die Pflanze der Firma 
Koster & S.) gewesen ist, während alle A. mollis-Exemplare in den Her- 
barien von Leiden, Berlin, Kew und London aus Japan, und alle A. si- 
nensis-Exemplare ebendaselbst aus China herırühren, so können wir schließen, 
daß Azalea sinensis in China, A. mollis in Japan heimisch ist, f 
Jetzt bleibt noch übrig, den wissenschaftlich richtigen Namen der 
beiden Pflanzen festzustellen. Der älteste, unserer Azalea sinensis ge- 
