RHODODENDRON, a genus of plants belonging to the Ericacem. There are many species in the mountainous regions of the E. Indies, the better known being Rh. anthopogon arboremn campanu latum, Aucklandii, Blandfordimflorum, 'Campbell Edgeworthii, Falconeri, grande, forrnosum, Hodg soni, Maddeni, puniceum, and purpureum. Per haps the most gorgeous of the native plants of Borneo are the various species of rhododendron, which there assume a peculiar form, being found spiphytal upon the trunks of trees. A species Known as Brah in the N.W. Himalaya bears a bright red flower. Its wood is soft, used for charcoal and in zamindars' buildings. At Laghep, near Tumlung, Dr. Hooker gathered, in two days, seeds of 24 kinds, in the following order in ascending :— Commencing at 6000 feet—Dalhousiw, vaccinioides, camellimflorum, arboreum.
Above 8000 feet—argenteum, Falconeti, barbatum, Campbellim, Edgeworthia, niveum, Thomsoni, cinnabarinum, glaucum.
Above 10,500 feet — lanatum, virgaturn, campylocar pum, ciliatum, Hodgsoni, campanulatum.
Above 12,000 feet—lepidotum, fulgens, Wightianurn, anthropogon, setosum.
Several species occur a little north of Cherra. On the hill above Choongtam village, in Sikkim, • Dr. Hooker gathered, at 5000 to 6000 feet, Rh. arboreum and Dalhousim, which do not generally grow at Darjiling below 7590 feet. Dr. Hooker collected here ten kinds of rhododendron, which, however, are not the social plants that they become at greater elevations. Still, in the delicacy and beauty of their flowers, four of them, perhaps, excel any other ; they are Rh. Aucklandii, whose flowers are five inches and a half in diameter ; Rh. Maddeni, Rh. Dalhousim, and Rh. Edgeworthii, all white-flowered bushes, of which the two first rise to the height of small trees. In the Tonglo mountains, in Sikkim, the trees in order of pre valence were—the scarlet Rhododendron arboreum and barbatum, the latter 30 to 40 feet high, as large as bushy trees, both loaded with beautiful flowers and luxuriant foliage ; Rh. Falconeri, in point of foliage the most supurb of all the Hima layan species. Next in abundance to these were shrubs of Skimmia, Laureola, Symplocos, and Hydrangea, and there were still a few purple magnolias, very large Pyri, like mountain-ash, and the common English yew, 18 feet in circumfer ence, the red bark of which is used in Nepal as a dye and for staining the foreheads of Brahmans.
Rhododendron anthopogon. Poh, BHOT. It flowers in June ; the whole plant is very fragrant, and is exported to Hundes for the Lamas, who use it for incense. This and Rh. setosum are two dwarf species with strongly scented leaves, and occur at an elevation of 12,000 feet near Wallan chun in East Nepal.
Rhododendron arboreum, SM.
Mandal . . of CHEN. Urvail, . . . JHELUM.
Brab, Bras, Broa, DEAS. ChM, Dru, . . . Ravi. Chichewa, . . . „ Ma-ratmal, . . SINGH. Tree rhododendron, ENG. Bilbe, Poo-rnaram, TAM. Buraus, . . . . HIND. Trikh, . TR.-INDUS.
Ardawal,. . . JHELUM. Gandere, . 32 This very gorgeous tree grows up to 8000 feet in the alpine Panjab, and in the mountains in the south of India. It has lanceolate leaves, acute silvery beneath, tapering to the base. It is one of the most beautiful of all trees, but too delicate to bear the open air in England. It is very common all over the Neilgherry Hills, either forming small clumps or dotted about. It grows 20 feet high, having a gnarled trunk and deep crimson flowers, in rnasses. The variety roseum, of Rh. arboreum, grows to the height of thirty and forty feet, in Sikkim, bears bright red, sub-acid flowers, which are niade into jelly ; wood brown, soft, used for charcoal and in zemindars' buildings ; tree gives posts 6 inches in diameter.
Rhododendron argenteum, the white-flowered rhododendron, is found in Sikkim at an elevation of 8671 feet. It is a tree 30 feet high, having leaves very beautiful in the leaf-buds, erect and silky. The flowers are 2 to 3 inches long, 2 to 2i inches in diameter, always white. The scarlet rhododendron (Rh. arboreum) is outvied by the great Rh. argenteum, which grows as a tree forty feet high, with magnificent leaves twelve to fifteen inches long, deep green, vvrinkled above and silvery below, while the flowers are as large as those of Rh. Dalhousim, and grow more in a cluster. Few plants exceed in beauty the flowering branch of Rh. argenteum, with its wide-spreasling foliage and glorious mass of flowers.