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AMERICAN AZALEAS AND THEIR HYBRIDS. 
Contributed by Lieut.-Commander J. G. Millais and P. D. Williams. 
In giving this brief history of the American Azaleas and their subsequent 
introduction into Europe, with the hybrids that have resulted inter se and with 
the additional hybridisation with Asiatic Rhododendrons (Azaleas), we are 
confronted with immense difficulties in unravelling the tangled skein of work 
performed by English, Dutch, French and Belgian nurserymen. If any records 
were kept by the Belgian nurserymen who were the most active participators 
in this trade, they have never been published, whilst those who may still survive 
are probably too old to remember accurately the basis on which the early workers 
pursued their trade. Moreover, during the turmoil of war it was manifestly 
impossible for us to proceed to the fountain head of information and pursue our 
investigations of the subject. It is probable too that the Belgians who followed 
Mortier worked somewhat blindly, just using any species or hybrid that seemed 
likely to give good results, and that their example was followed by both the 
Dutch and the French. Of the English worker we shall speak later. 
The following species of Rhododendron (Azalea) were known, described and 
introduced into Europe in the last century or late in the previous century. 
1. R. calendulaceum, Torr., 1803. 
[R. LUTEUM, Schneider, 1911; A. calendulacea, Michaux, 1803; 
A. LUTEA, Linn., 1753]. 
A shrub of 15 to 18 feet tall with erect and spreading branches and finely 
loose-pubescent twigs; leaves oval, elliptic or obovate; flower clusters 
expanding with the leaves ; corolla yellow to red. 
The distribution of this fine species is Southern New York, Pennsylvania, 
Carolina to Northern Georgia. 
The “ Orange ” or “ Flame-coloured ” Azalea was first discovered by William 
Bartram, who sent a specimen to Sir Joseph Banks about the year 1774. It 
was common in English nurseries such as those of Fraser and Loddiges & Sons 
early in the last century. 
2. R. NUDiFLORUM, Torr., 1824. 
[A. PERICLYMOIDES, Michaux, 1803 ; A. bicolor, Pnrsh, 1814 ; R. bicolor, 
Don, 1834 ; A. nudiflora, Linn., 1762]. 
A shrub 9 to 12 feet tall with irregularly branched stems and minutely 
pubescent and more or less strigose twigs ; leaves oblong to obovate or oblong- 
obovate, short petioled. Flower clusters expanding before or with the leaves. 
Corolla pink, white, or purplish. 
The distribution of this species is wide as it is found from Maine to Texas, 
west to Illinois and south as far as Florida. Introduced to England in 1734 by 
Peter Collinson. 
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