8 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 
the other members of Ericaceae, there are certain well- 
marked differences among them, especially with respect 
to their breeding with each other. It is noteworthy that 
whilst the species of each section intercross, as, for ex- 
ample, R. flavum with R, sinense, R. javanicum with R. 
malayanunif and R. indicum with R, amoenum, no one has 
yet raised hybrids between R. arhoreum and R. javanicum 
or between R, indicum and another. There are hybrids 
between the deciduous Azaleas and the catawhiense section, 
for which the name Azaleodendron has been proposed. 
Seeing that the cultivated Rhododendrons inside the 
limits here noted interbreed quite freely, that their flowers 
are attractive to insects on account of the honey they 
secrete, and that the reproductive organs are so arranged 
as to facilitate cross-pollination, it is not unlikely that 
hybrids sometimes occur amongst the wild plants. Cer- 
tainly some of the plants recognised as species have what 
may be termed a mongrel look. This was the subject of 
observation by the late Mr. H. ]. Mangles, who, in answer 
to an inquiry whether there was any marked variation 
amongst Rhododendrons when raised from seeds, wrote as 
follows : — 
In venturing to give an answer to this question, so 
far as my observation and experience among Himalayan 
Rhododendrons permits, I will for the present confine the 
word ‘ seedlings ' to plants grown from seed imported from 
their native places, that is to say, plants of the first genera- 
tion, and my answer must be in the negative. I believe 
that a packet of seed, gathered from the same species and 
in the same locality, will yield in Europe seedlings, not, of 
course, absolutely uniform, but certainly showing no marked 
difference. This result, although often questioned, was 
