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LIST OF RHODODENDRON SPECIES GROWING AT 
CAERHAYS CASTLE, CORNWALL, IN JULY, 1917. 
Contributed by J. C. Williams. 
The following list of Rhododendron species growing at Caerhays is the 
outcome of a request conveyed through the Honorary Secretary. As the Notes 
of the Rhododendron Society is a private publication, and the circulation is 
confined to contributors, Mr. Williams very kindly consented. 
In a letter to Mr. Eley, dated 23rd August, 1917, Mr. Williams writes : 
” I am sending you a list of plants here and also some outlines of things which 
have flowered lately (see p. 183). The list of species is very hard to get right, 
for example, Davidii and oreodoxa of Wilson’s collection run into one another, 
and the numbers are mixed I believe ; moreover. Professor Bayley Balfour 
doubts if R. OREODOXA is in this country at all. Further, I believe that both 
these species are tangled up with hybrids from and with R. pachytrichum and 
R. MACULIFERUM, though I have not yet made good the geographical facts for 
this suspicion.” 
It will be seen that the total number of Rhododendron species and natural 
varieties growing at Caerhays, in July, 1917, was 264. 
In a subsequent letter to Mr. Eley, dated 17th December, 1917, Mr. Williams 
writes in reply to enquiries : ‘‘ As to R. virgatum. Professor Bayley Balfour 
has now called Nos. 6770 and 9342 sinovirgatum, and they are remarkably 
near to the picture of what Hooker calls R. virgatum. 
Nos. 5880 and 5881 Professor Bayley Balfour now calls euanthum, and I 
believe doubts if Forrest ever found R. SuELTONiE : moreover, Wilson tells me 
that he (Wilson) never got seed of it. 
I have never had R. Rhodora here or indeed anywhere else. 
R. YUNNANENSE is for the present submerged by the Professor under a mass 
of near relations; and he cannot yet tell me which is the true form; although 
I have the form sent home by Delavay, and many other forms also, perhaps 
all that are as yet in cultivation. R. occidentale pure has never been on 
these premises. 
As regards the word " Series,” used frequently throughout the list, I have 
copied this off Professor Balfour’s lists. I believe that when the Professor has 
a group of allied plants under consideration he “ lumps ” the doubtful ones under 
the word “ Series,” and postpones sorting them until such time as he is able to 
undertake the work. There are a great many in this category now, not a few 
of which are growing here, and some have flowered.” 
The Society is much indebted to Mr. Williams for the work entailed in the 
production of this list, and to Mr. W. J. Bean, who has kindly helped by checking 
the authors’ names and has made several valuable suggestions. 
C. C. E. 
December, 1917. 
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