RHODODENDRON ARBOREUM.— INDIAN-TREE ROSE-BAY. 
Class X. DECANDRIA.— Order I. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order, ERICE.E. THE HEATH TRIBE. 
Fig. (a) represents the pistil; showing the germ, style, and stigma. 
Stem twenty feet in height; branches dichotomous, ascending. Leaves at the end of the branches, ovate- 
lanceolate, on short petioles, bright green on the upper surface, downy beneath ; midrib strong, much 
veined. Flowers deep crimson, from ten to twenty in clusters at the extremity of the branches. Calyx 
permanent, small, five-cleft. Corolla bell-shaped, dotted in the throat, lobed. Stamens ten, shorter than 
the corolla, falling with it. Anthers oblong. Germ superior, cylindrical, white, downy. 
This magnificent shrub is a native of the Nepal mountains, and was introduced into this country in 
1817- In the Flora Exotica it is said to have been first discovered by Captain Hardwicke on a tour to 
Sireenagur in 1796, growing in the mountainous tract called the Sewalic Chain which separates the plains 
of Hindostan from the Himmaleh mountains; it is called by the natives the Boor am. Its wood is used for 
making stocks of matchlocks, or common muskets of Hindostan. 
This species, upon its first introduction, was treated as a hothouse plant; but it is now fully proved to 
bear the severity of our winters. Sir James Edward Smith, P.L.S., has a specimen in his garden which 
has stood in the open ground four years ; and it has been of late treated as a hardy tree in many collections. 
Placed alone upon a lawn, this shrub will appear to great advantage ; or mixed with the purple and 
pink hues of the various American species of this genus, its deep crimson blossoms will appear with 
additional splendour. Beautiful as this shrub is, it was rarely to be met with until within these few years ; 
but as it is now more generally dispersed, and as it flowers early in the summer, there is reason to expect 
that the seeds may be perfected in this country, though probably it may be propagated by layers, like the 
other species of Rhododendron.* 
Mr. Moore quotes a passage from Tournefort, in his notes to Lalla Rookh, informing us that about 
Trebizond there is a kind of Rhododendron, on the flowers of which the bees feed, and that their honey 
drives people mad: — 
“ E’en as those bees of Trebizond, — 
Which from the sunniest flowers that glad 
With their pure smile the gardens round, 
Draw venom forth that drives men mad.” 
It is an interesting amusement (says an admired Author,) to be able to trace in the productions and 
forms of the vegetable world a certain resemblance, a somewhat of a family likeness, to animated beings, and 
in fact not only to these, but a resemblance also to various inanimate objects of familiar acquaintance. The 
subject has often occupied our thoughts, and its consideration in this place may be an occupation not alto- 
gether of an uninstructive nature. 
Although, to our recollection at least, the subject has not received a formal notice on any previous 
occasion, the resemblance of flowers to other objects could not escape recognition, and the multitude 
which have received their titles from these similarities abundantly testifies to that effect. The enumeration 
of a few of these well-known names will immediately remind the reader of the circumstance. The Turk’s 
cap from a fancied resemblance to that portion of the apparel ; the snap dragon, from its similitude to a 
dragon’s mouth ; the monk’s hood, the bell-flower, the trumpet-flower, the star-worts, the cock’s-combs, 
prince’s-feathers, heart’s-ease, lion’s-tail, satin flower, and many others, the pride of every cottage garden. 
These all wear some resemblance to the objects from whence they derive their title. But it would be to 
waste our time to enter into further detail upon things of such common occurrence; the reader, if he pleases, 
can extend the list at his will, and make his own comments. We shall therefore consider principally the 
rarer and more striking instances of the display of this mimic faculty to be found in the vegetable world; 
and the singularities thus presented to our notice are well deserving of a little close attention. 
We may premise, however, and in this the reader will probably anticipate us, that instances are of most 
familiar occurrence in which man has imitated the works of nature, which should not be confounded with 
our present subject. Thus portions of the order of architecture, and an infinity of the decorations, utensils, 
weapons, &c. of all ages, find their originals in the productions of the forest and field. It would be absurd 
Flora Conspicua. 
