RHODODENDRON SMITHII AUREUM, 
(Mr. Smith's Yellow Rose-bay.) 
Class. 
DECANDKIA. 
Order. 
MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
ERICACEAE. 
Generic Character. — Calyx five-parted. Corolla 
somewhat funnel-shaped, or campanulate ; rarely rotate 
or five-parted ; limb five-cleft, somewhat bilabiate ; 
upper lip broadest, and usually spotted. Stamens five 
to ten, usually exserted, declinate ; anthers opening by 
two terminal pores. Capsule five- celled, five valved, 
rarely ten-seeded and ten-valved, with a septicidal 
dehiscence at the apex. Placentas simple, angular, 
Seeds compressed, scrobiform, winged. — Don's Gard. 
and Botany. 
Specific Character. — Plant a hybrid evergreen 
shrub, with wrinkled leaves, and immense terminal 
clusters of yellow flowers, which are shaded and spotted 
with light brown. 
This noble hybrid, which appears to be one of the handsomest and most 
distinct seedling Rhododendrons at present in existence, owes its origin to Mr. 
Smith, nurseryman, of Norbiton, near Kingston, Surrey, who procured it from a 
hardy seedling Rhododendron of his own, fertilised with the yellow-flowered Chinese 
Azalea, A. sinensis, and at whose request we have given it the above name. 
As will be seen at the base of the drawing, the size of our plate only admits of 
the flowers being shown at one-third of their natural dimensions ; but it will not 
be difficult for the observer to imagine it thrice enlarged, and thus to obtain an 
adequate idea of its beauty. To assist him in this, we have added in a woodcut, 
two flowers of the proper size, No. 1 being the variety depicted in the coloured 
figure, and 2 another kind, with somewhat larger- flowers, which have a rather 
deeper shade of pinkish brown. 
It was first exhibited last spring at the rooms of the Horticultural Society in 
Regent Street, and both there and at the Chiswick shows in May and June, attracted 
much attention. It is an evergreen shrub, perfectly hardy, with the foliage con- 
siderably wrinkled ; and the flowers, which constitute a depressed cone, and are 
individually above three inches across, are of a yellow ground, shaded lightly towards 
the outside, especially in the upper petals, with a pale brown tint, and having the 
top petal profusely spotted with brown. Its flowering season seems to be May 
and June. 
Notwithstanding its entire hardihood, it is an admirable plant for lifting when 
it comes into flower, and placing in a pot in the greenhouse for the purpose of 
