AZALEA (Gk. 4aVos, ar-aleos, dry, so called because supposed to grow best in dry ground). A genus of plants belonging to the natural order Erieaeem (heath family). Some botanists unite the genus Azalea to Rhododen dron. One of the species best deserving of no tice is Azalea politica, a shrub from :3 to 5 feet high, a native of the countries around the Black Sea, with large obo•ate or oblong, lanceolate shin ing leaves and umbellate yellow flowers, which are externally covered with glutinous hairy glands, and are very fragrant. It covers many mountain slopes, hut does not ascend to great elevations, giving place to the more alpine Rho dodendron pun ticum. It is common in gardens and shrubberies in Britain, and varies with orange, red, and almost white flowers. The whole plant is narcotic and poisonous. North America abounds in azaleas as well as in rhododendrons, and some of the species have been long cultivated in (lreat Britain, particularly .4; frfl nudiflora and riscosa, which, with .Izalca pontiff!, have become the parents of many hybrids. The
former has pink, the latter pure white flowers, of delightful fragrance. Azalea riseosa has the flowers covered with glutinous hairs like Azalea ponti•a but the flowers of Azalea nudillo 01 are nearly destitute of them. Both species abound from Canada to the southern parts of the United States (the latter is sometimes known by the. common name of honeysuckle). .1.vdto o•bo rt set us, a mountainous species, from 3 to 10 feet high, has large rose-colored flowers. Azalea ealendulacca, a native of the southern parts of the United States, is described as frequently clothing the mountains with a robe of living scarlet. India and China produce several species of azalea, of which one of the finest is Azalea indica, well known as a greenhouse shrub. Its flowers exhibit great brilliancy of colors. Many hybrids exist between it and the more hardy species. Another extremely beautiful species is Azalea liliflo•a, an evergreen introduced from China.