NAT. ORDER. 
Laurace(B. 
RHODODENDRON ARBOREUM. ROSE BAY. 
Class IX. Enneandria, Order 1. Monogynia. 
Gen. Char. Calyx none. Corolla calycine, six-parted. Nectary 
of three two-bristled glands, surrounding the germ. Drupe 
one-seeded. 
Spe. Char, heaves ovate lanceolate, perennial, shining. Flowers 
placed upon short peduncles. 
This beautiful shrub never rises to any great height, but usual- 
ly sends off many radical shoots, oftentimes growing close and bushy; 
the ha7-k is smooth, and of a dark olive color ; the leaves are ellipti- 
cal, pointed, smooth, veined, often v^^aved at the margin, and of a 
shining green color ; the Jlowers appear in April and May, and like 
those of Laurus Sassafras, are male and female upon different plants ; 
they appear single and stand upon short peduncles ; the corolla di- 
vides into four oval leaves, which stand nearly erect, and are of a 
yellowish white color ; the stamens vary in number, from seven to 
thirteen ; there is no calyx ; the style of the female flower is very 
short, and the germen becomes an oval berry, covered with a dark 
green rind, and separable into two lobes or cotyledons. 
This tree is a native of Italy, and other southern parts of Eu- 
rope, and the first account we have of its cultivation is given by 
Turner, which was in 1562, when it was introduced into England for 
o 
medical purposes. It is a beautiful evergreen, and is now very com- 
mon in the extensive parks and shrubberies of that country. The 
spicy warmth of the berries, formerly recommended them for culi- 
Vol. ii.— 23 
