; i
rii
ri'
' j ,
ì
I k
li i
í i
hiJ-.ly /.JftJflh’»/ /'?7n£.-aN;2/j.,i -■ / JS¡¿
R H O D O D É N D R O N Russellianum.
Russell’s Rhododendron.
Linnean Class ^ Order. P E N T -D E C A N D R IA M O N O G Y N IA .
Natural Order. E R IC EÆ . B . Bon prodr. flor. nepal. p. 148.
Subordo I I I . RHODORACEÆ. D . Don loc. cit. p. 152.
R H O D O D E N D R O N . Supra fol. 10, series 2.
Sect. I . R h o d o d e n d r a . Corolla campanulata aut subrotata. Stamina
10.— Frutices v. Arbores, sempervirentes aut rarissime subdeciduis;
ramis glabris v. pulverulento-pubescentibus, raro hirsutis. Folia coriacea,
oblonga, ovata, v. elliptica, glabra aut subtus subtomentosa. Flores corymbosi,
speciosi, coccinei, rosei, purpurei, lilacini, albi, aut lutei.
R . Russellianum, f o l i i s o b l o n g i s c o r i a c e i s a b r u p t e a c u t i s p e n n i n e r v i i s r e t i c u l
a t o - v e n o s i s s u p r a g l a b r i s s u b t u s t e n u i t e r t o m e n t o s i s : j u n i o r i b u s v i l l o s i s ,
u m b e l l i s c o n g e s t i s m u l t i f l o r i s , b r a c t e i s o v a t i s m u c r o n a t i s , c a l y c i b u s b r e v
i s s i m e q u i n q u e l o b i s , c o r o l l a c a m p a n u l a t a p a t e n t e .
Old Stem with a cracked rugged bark : branches, when
young, densely clothed with short down, and surrounded
with numerous scales; old ones naked, smooth, and glossy.
Scales imbricate, closely pressed, downy, variable in size
and shape, ovate : lower ones acute : middle ones obtuse,
terminated by a brown tip : upper ones membranaceous,
acuminate, attenuated at the base. Leaves of a thick
leathery substance, 4 to 9 inches long, crowded, alternate,
oblong, abruptly acute, rounded at the base, reticulately
veined, a little hollow on the upper side ; margins a little
recurved, smooth and glossy : underneath strongly ribbed,
penninerved, densely clothed with short down : young leaves
densely tomentose on both sides. Petioles about an inch long,
stout, slightly furrowed on the upper side, and rounded below,
densely tomentose when young : but becoming smooth
by age. Umbel terminal, many-flowered, in a close crowded
head, bracteate. Bractes closely imbricate before the flowers
expansion, ovate, shortly acuminate, concave on the upper
side, silky and fringed. Flowers of a bright rosy red, approaching
to crimson, bell-shaped, deeply 5-lobed. Pedicles
about an inch long, downy. Calyx very small, very shortly