The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening

Every genus a Victorian gardener could grow — Abelia to Zygopetalum across four volumes, with each plant's history, species, and culture, by the Curator of Kew.

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Rhododendron (Including Vireya)

Including Vireya. To the species and varieties described on pp. 292-8, Vol. III., the following should now be added: R. albescens (whitish). fl. white, scented, large, the upper segments marked at the base with sulphur-yellow. l. glabrous, the under surface silvery-white. R. Andersoni (Anderson's). fl. bright carmine. Himalayas. A garden name for what is probably a form of R. arboreum.

R. Apoanum (Apo). fl. red, small, tubular, about 1/2in. long, with spreading lobes; trusses few-flowered. l. narrowly elliptic, acute at both ends, green above, rusty beneath. Philippine Islands, 1885. A small shrub. (R. G. 1196 [1195 in text.]) R. assamicum (Assam). A garden name of R. formosum.

R. Collettianum (Major Collett's). fl. white, in dense, terminal corymbs, shortly pedicellate, surrounded with broad, ciliated scales; sepals five, obtuse; corolla nearly 1in. long, funnel-shaped; stamens ten. May. l. 2in. to 3in. long, very coriaceous, elliptic-oblong or-lanceolate, acute at both ends, opaque above, lepidote-scaly beneath; petioles 1/8in. to 1/2in. long. Branchlets furfuraceous-pubescent. h. 8ft. to 10ft. Afghanistan. Hardy. (B. M. 7019; G. C. ser. iii., vol. iv., p. 297.) R. Curtisii (Curtis'). A synonym of R. multicolor.

R. grande roseum (rosy). fl. of a lively rose-colour, with darker veins on the lobes, and obscure spots on the tube within. 1887. (B. M. 6948.) R. graveolens (strongly-scented). fl. pure white, fragrant. A dwarf and free-flowering hybrid between R. formosum and R. Sesterianum. R. jasminiflorum carminatum (carmine). fl. rich carmine, slightly toned with orange-scarlet around the base of the limb, the tube paler externally. 1886. A hybrid between R. jasminiflorum and R. javanicum.

R. javanicum tubiflorum (tube-flowered). fl. orange-red; corolla tube elongated. June. l. smaller than in the type, the midrib impressed above. Sumatra and Java, 1885. (B. M. 6850.) R. Kochii (Koch's). fl. white, 1 3/4in. long, tubular, with a campanulate limb, something like those of R. jasminiflorum, disposed in loose trusses. l. petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, 5in. to 6in. long, narrowed to the petioles, which are 1/2in. to 1 1/2in. long. Philippine Islands, 1885. Stove shrub. (R. G. 1195 [1196 in text].) R. Lochae (Lady Loch's). fl. rather large, in terminal, umbelliform fascicles, on very conspicuous stalklets; corolla bright red, scaly dotted outside, the tube cylindrical, the limb bluntly five-lobed and conspicuously veined. l. persistent, mostly whorled, some scattered, conspicuously stalked, flat, nearly ovate, rather blunt, glabrous, minutely scaly-dotted beneath. h. 20ft. Mount Bellenden-Ker, 1887. This tree is the only known Australian Rhododendron.

R. Manglesii (Mangles'). A fine, half-hardy, garden hybrid, having handsome, white flowers, disposed in very large heads. 1886. R. Aucklandii is one of the parents, and a garden hybrid the other.

R. multicolor (many-coloured). fl. few, horizontal, in terminal umbels; calyx minute; corolla dark red or bright yellow, 1in. long, between funnel-and bell-shaped, the five lobes equal, one-third the length of the tube. Winter. l. whorled, three to seven together, 2in. to 3in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. broad, elliptic-lanceolate, narrowed at both ends, contracted into the short petioles, dull green above, paler beneath. Sumatra. A small, glabrous, slender bush. (B. M. 6769.) SYN. R. Curtisii (F. & P. 1884, 615). R. roseum odoratum (rosy, scented). fl. pale rose-coloured, fragrant, rather small, disposed in good-sized heads. 1886. Garden hybrid. R. Sesterianum (Sester's). A white-flowered, garden hybrid, of which R. Edgworthii is one of the parents.

R. Smirnowi (Smirnow's). fl. deep purplish-scarlet, corymbose-umbellate; calyx minute, pelviform, the lobes very short; corolla campanulate, about 1 1/4in. long, obtusely five-lobed. l. 4 1/2in. long, coriaceous, evergreen, oblong, rather obtuse at apex, cuneate at base, the margins revolute, glabrous above, beneath (as well as on the petioles, peduncles, and pedicels) densely white-floccose-tomentose. Caucasus, 1886. A tall shrub. (R. G. 1226, f. 2, d-g.) R. Ungerni (Baron Ungern-Sternberg's). fl. white, corymbose-umbellate; calyx small, five-parted, the segments elongated; corolla campanulate, obtusely five-lobed, the lobes reddish on the back. l. coriaceous, persistent, oblong, nearly 7in. long, narrowed towards the base, cuspidate at apex, glabrous above, white-floccose-tomentose beneath; petioles (as well as the branches) tomentose-puberulous. Caucasus, 1886. A tall shrub. (R. G. 1227, f. l, a-c.) R. Victorianum (Victor's). fl. pure white, except the golden-yellow interior of the funnel-shaped tube, as freely produced as those of R. Dalhousie; limb spreading, five-lobed. l. as in R. Nuttallii. 1887. A garden hybrid between the species named.

R. Williamsii (Williams'). fl. white, slightly spotted in the upper segments, freely produced. 1885. A hybrid between a species of Rhododendron and Azalea sinensis.

R. yedoense (Yedo). fl. pale blush-coloured, double, about three in an umbel; calyx segments linear-oblong, acute, slightly serrated, white-bristly; corolla tube funnel-shaped, the limb campanulate. l. sub-caducous, oblong-lanceolate, shortly acuminate, spreading, in groups of about five at the tips of the branchlets, membranous-chartaceous, the autumnal ones smaller, linear-spathulate. Japan, 1886. (R. G. 1233 a-b.)

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