Plate 58. 
EARLY-FLOWERED RHODODENDRON. 
Rhododendron prcecox . 
The novel and interesting garden hybrid, one of the most 
handsome of hardy shrubs, represented in the annexed Plate, 
was raised about five years ago, by Mr. Davies, of the Larkfield 
Nursery, Wavertree, near Liverpool, from R. atrovirens ferti¬ 
lized with R. ciliatum, It has proved to be perfectly hardy, 
having been grown by hundreds for the last two winters in the 
open ground without being in the slightest degree injured by 
frost. A beautiful little bush, loaded with blossoms, was sent 
by Mr. Davies for exhibition before the Floral Committee of 
the Royal Horticultural Society in February last, but was un¬ 
fortunately not delivered in time for examination. This plant 
had been potted in November and kept and bloomed in a 
greenhouse, and formed a charmingly handsome specimen, 
showing the perfect adaptation of the plant for greenhouse 
decoration at that early season of the year. Some cut blooms 
subsequently forwarded, in a rather damaged condition, were 
commended by the Committee. Having seen the plant as first 
sent for exhibition, we have no hesitation in assigning it a place 
in the first rank among early-fiowering decorative plants. 
As exhibited, the plant formed an erect openly-branched 
shrub of about two feet high, furnished with slender terete scurfy 
'Plate 58.— Ehododexdeox pbj:cox (hybrid between ciliatum and atrovi¬ 
rens) : shrubby, with terete scurfy twigs sparingly leafy at the ends; leaves 
small, oblong-oval, acute, somewhat lepidote, sparingly ciliated; flowers rosy- 
lilac, in terminal clusters of 2-8 together, with scurfy pedicels ; calyx 5-lobed, 
with short rounded ciliated lobes; corolla shallow, expanded, almost rotate, 
5-lobed, the lobes rounded, overlapping; stamens 10, unequal; style very 
prominent, with a small capitate obscurely 5-lobed stigma. 
