CHAPTER IX 
JAVANICUM HYBRIDS FOR WARM GREENHOUSE 
Rhododendron javanicum was introduced into cultivation by 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons through their collector, Thomas 
Lobb, and it flowered first in their nursery in 1847. It is 
a sturdy evergreen shrub, with leaves as large as those of 
R. ponticum, but thicker, and the heads have from eight 
to twelve large, fleshy, orange-yellow flowers, with a few 
scattered, red spots. It grows in moist forests at a high 
elevation in Java, and under cultivation it requires the 
conditions of a warm, moist greenhouse. 
In the development of the race known as Javanicum 
hybrids this species has played quite as important a part 
as R. catawbiense did in the production of the hardy 
race. Crossed with other species from the Malay regions 
— viz. R, jasminiflorum, R, Teysmannii, R. Brookeanuniy R. 
multicolor y and R. malayanum — and their progeny with each 
other, about two hundred hybrids and crosses have been 
obtained, their colours ranging from deep crimson to rich 
golden-yellow and pure-white, and their forms from that of 
a Jasmine to big bell-shaped flowers, and double in some 
cases as the tuberose (balsamiflorum). The first of these 
hybrids sent out by Messrs. Veitch, in whose nurseries 
they have all been raised, the early ones by Taylor, and the 
later by Heal, was Princess Royal, soon afterwards followed 
by Duchess of Edinburgh and Taylori. 
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