,1. • i '
THE
RHODODENDRONS
OF
SIKKIM-HIMALAYA;
HKITiO
AN ACCOUNT. BOTANICAX AND GBOGRAPHrCAL. OF THE r V RHODODENDRONS RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN HIMALAYA,
DRAWINGS AND DESCRIPTIONS MADE ON THE SPOT,
DURING A GOVERNMENT BOTANICAL MISSION TO THAT COUNTRY;
JOSEPH DALTON HOOKER, R.N., M.D., E.R.S., F.L.S.,
JJDITBD BY
SIR W. J. HOOKER, K.H., D.C.L., F.R.S., F.L.S., &c.,
VIcc-Vrc«i(li'iit of Ihc T.inn«m Society, and Director of the Royal Garden! of Ken*.
Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 23-A. New Connaughi Place, DEHRA DUN-248001. India 1979
i i*'. -t : THE RHODODENDRONS
OP
SIKKIM-HIMALAYA
DKIHO
AN ACCOUNT,BOTANICAlAND SEOOEAPHICAL.OF THE
RHODODENDRONSRECENTLYDISCOYEUBDIN THEMOUNTAINSOPEASTERNHIMALAYA,
FROU
DRAWINGSAND DESGRIPTIONSMADEON THE SPOT,
1 DURINa A GOVERNMENTBOTANICALMISSIONTO THAT COUNTRY-
RY JOSEPHDALTONHOOKER,R.N., M.D.,F.R.S., F.L.S.,
EDITED BY SIR W.J. HOOKER,K.H., D.C.L.,F.R.S.,F.L.S.,&c.
Vice.?re.iilpiitoftheLinneanSociety,andDirectoroftheRoyalGardenaof Kew.
LONDON: REEVEAND CO., HENRIETTASTREET, COYENTGARDEN.
: 1849.
6 PREFACE. " Such is the aspect of the- Himalaya range at early morning. As the sun's rays dart into the many valieys which lie between the snowy mountains and Darjeeling,, the stagnant air contained in the low recesses becomes quickly heated: heavy masses of vapour, dense, white, and keenly defined, arise from the hollows, meet over the crests of the hills, cling to the forests on their summits, enlarge, unite, and ascend rapidly to the rarefied regions above, —a phenomenon so suddenly developed, that the consequent withdrawal from the spectator's gaze of the stupendous scenery beyond, looks like the work of magic." Such is the region of the Indian Rhododendrons. . ^ Perhaps, with the exception of the Rose, the Queen of Flowers, no plants have excited a more lively interest ' throughout Europe than the several species of the genus Rhododendron} whether the fine evergreen foliage be considered, or the beauty and profusion of the blossoms; and it may probably be said with truth, that no kind of flowering shrub is so easily, and has been so extensively, cultivated, or has formed so vast an article of traffic, as that one oriental species to which the name seems more immediately to have been given, the Rhododendron Pontieum. Its poisonous qualities, too, have tended to bring it the more into notice j for, to eating the honey collected by the bees from that plant (as well as from the Jzcdea Pontica), in the neighbourhood of Trebizond, during the celebrated retreat of the Ten Thousand, were
attributed the dreadful sufferings of the Greeks; so severe that their actions were said to resemble those of drunken persons or madmen. Major Madden has stated that cattle sometimes perish by feeding upon the foliage and flowers of Rhododendron arboreum in the mountains of Kamaoon. Dr. Hooker remarks, on a recent tour while exploring the mountain-passes leading into Thibet:—" Here are three Rhododendrons, two of them resinous and strongly odoriferous; and it is to the presence of these plants that the natives attribute the painful sensations experienced at great elevations." The B. Poniicum, which inhabits the mountains of Asia Minor and extends as far west as Spain and Portugal, together with B. ferrugineuvi and hirsutum of the European Alps, R. Bahuricum of Siberia, R. Chamtseisius of the Austrian and Piedmontese mountains, B. maximum of the United States of America, and the arctic R. Laponicum, were all the kinds known to Linnaeus and to the botanical world so recently as 1764. The beautiful R. chrysanthum of Northern Siberia appeared in Linnaeus's 'Supplement.' Gmelin added the R. Kamtschaticum frojn Okotsk and Behring's Straits, and Pallas the charming R. Caueasicum from the Caucasian Alps. Towards the very close of the eighteenth century, namely, in 1796, B. arboreum, the first of a new form and aspect of the genus, and peculiar to the lofty mountains of India Proper, was discovered by Captain Hardwicke, in the Sewalic chain of the Himalaya, while he was on a tour to Sireenagur. The species has since been found to have a very extended range. It was published in 1805 by Sir James E. Smith, in the 'Exotic Botany' of that author, and is characterized by its arborescent stem, very rich scarlet flowers, and leaves that arc silvery on the underside. Sir James, on the authority no doubt of Captain Hardwicke, gives the height of the tree at twenty feet; but Major Madden, who found it on the mountains of Kamaoon, at elevations of from 3,500 to 10,000 feet, says he might safely have doubled that measurement. On Binaur, a trunk was found to be thirteen feet in girth, and another at Nynee Tal, sixteen feet; while a third at Singabee Devee, was fourteen feet and a half in the circumference of the stem at five feet from the ground. ' So calkd, Bs is well known, from poZov, a rose, and ZivZpov, a tree-, a name, however, wliicli was given with equal justice to tlie RoaC-bny, Nerium Oleander, the poSoZaspt^ of the modern Greeks. "^1 i)' ! •h .... ; ".i, . 'm j 1>.ill 'h, 'w 1>1 tl,.. ">• '0]I '^lu Ml. h, '»ilf Ml tut,.. '^R r. ' <^(|r.,' ' gc)>.„ '•ejJ.V th. PREFACE. til, IVq 'Oil,-^'is '0 .t., It does not appear on record by whom the Tree Bhododeiulronwas first introduced into Europe; probablyby 'll<.. "'^Cit,, «n,.„, LC(1.. Dr. Wallich,about the year 1827. We knowthat to that distinguishedbotanist weowethe discovery,and the possession tr-i of most of them in our gardens, of other noble Indian species, such as R. formosuvi, R. barbatum, R. nohile, R. cam- '•"tli ^'^''"Opiif 'ive] panulatum,R. eimamomeiim,withtheir manyvarieties,the limits of whichare not clearlydefined; and the facilitythese . , """ 110,. be tii.fli, Of" •ei-e^j kindsaffordforhybridizingwithR. arboreum,therebyrenderingtheproducemorehardy,hasoccasionedtheoriginal /> th H '5 sh type of this latter species to be almost lost to our gardens. One nib 'n >i orie Its »5tai R. Nihgiricum(Bot.Mag.t. 4381) wasintroducedto our gardensby Messrs.Lucombe,Pince,and Co.,of the 1» Pois ®Peci'les Mio Olio Us ^ be'-•oes fj ExeterNursery,a speciesassuredlyquite,and permanently,distinctfromB. arboreum,thoughpublishedandfigured n,.,. cat underthat namein Dr. Wight's 'Icones.' Dr. Wallich,about the sameperiod,detectedanotherdistinct,but not less the X .veil as interesting,group of species,in NorthernIndia, morealliedto R. fen-vgineumand R. hirsutum,namely,R. selosum,
R. lepidotum, and R. Anthopogon.
Drs. Horsfield,Blume,and Jack made known some species from-the mountainsof Java: they wereB. Javanicum "'""•'^-...aj.»„., on a rece, (a mostlovelyshrub,introducedto our gardensby Messrs.VeitchandSons,of Exeter,throughtheircollector,Mr. ^oui-.WiiJee.p,o.i. g the W. Lobb,seeBot.Mag.t. 4336),B. album,R. retusum,B. iubifiormi,B. Malaganum,and R. Cdebicum.Blume,we strongly odoriferous. believe,firstnoticeda speciesas beingepiphytal,in Java("supraarbores"),hisR. CVireyaJalbum.Mr.WilliamLobb 'JK^ (-wpci icjiccd at great eievations." informsme that severalkinds are there epiphytal; and Mr. Low,whospeaksof the fine Rhododendronsexistingin
Borneo,particularizesonewhichinhabitsinvariablythe trunksoftrees,andwhichhe hadthe goodfortuneto send a.-^ lar west as ypain and Portugal, to Englandalive,thoughwefearit hasnotbeenpreservedin ourcollections. '/ (.jf Siberia, 7^. Chamcocistus of the Whatmaybethenumberofspecies,or whatthekinds,detectedbyMr.Griffithduringhistravelsin Bootan,we
ana the arctic R- Laponicm,,. donotlearnfromthevolumeofhisPosthumousPapersrecentlypublishedat CalcuttabyMr.M'Clclland;noramI aware .1 ThebeautifulB-chrysanthm-of whetherDr.Wighthaspublishedthewholeoftheminthepaperofthatgentleman,inthe'CalcuttaJournalofNatural ' ' , ^ I- ond Bebring's History,'vol.viii.,oncertainRhndodendronsofMr.Griffith.InDr.Wight's'Icones'hefiguresanddescribesonlytwo, from Okotskandx> R.grandeandR.GrijfitUanum;bothverydistinctfromanyfoundbyDr.HookerintheadjacentterritoryofSikkim.
icct AndinproofoftheprevalenceofthegenusinBootan,it maybeobservedthatMr.Griffith,inhisJournal,whenspeaking formanda^P f 1 ggvpalin ofonesingleexcursion(toDoonglalaPeak.12,478feetofelevation),enumeratesnolessthaneightdistinctspecies,viz. r,r at t J l.-R. xmdulatum;fruticosum,foliiselongato-lanceolatisuiululatissubtusreticulatis. timt •d> . ;,)r ' tlii^ .U >1^ ^ >rt > ** Florilu^ solitanu. • ''' {cc^' tl" to ' <• S. R.wicroph/Uim;fruticosum,totumferruginco-lepidolum,foliislanccolatispnrvis. -1- n^' •f;ib tlld 1J c-n itb /• •• * •<'t " n" t . 1 ,, #: ^ I ^ ' i .' m'-MI •' r. 1- t .it S^ur.^-.r' ' . 1 iBl I •i W ii . 1 .i>.Si:vf THE RHODODENDRONS OF SIKKIM-HIMALAYA. JT has been well remarked by the illustrious Wallich (the Father of Nepalese Botany), that in Nepal the genus Bhododendron claims the highest rank amongst the plants,of that rich kingdom. From the proximity of Sikkim to Nepal, a similarity in the botanical features of these countries might be expected; and also that the difference should rather exist in individual species than in the genera or higher groups. The outline of the two countries is very similar, their latitude the same; so is their geology j and the difference in climate is slight, and only evident in the increased humidity of the eastern region. Rhododendrons are distributed in Sikkim as they are in Nepal, crowning those sub-Himalayan hills which attain 7,000 feet of elevation, and at a still greater altitude increasing in number of species and individuals: some species being replaced by others which have no greater, perhaps less, apparent adaptation for resisting vicissitudes of climate, and yet accompanying several of the more local kinds throughout the elevations they severally attain. I. As is frequently the case with large genera, one or more species, distinguished by peculiarity of distribution, often present some anomalies in botanical or other characters, whether in the unusual habit, mode of growth, or singular outline, colour, or more important feature. So it is with the Sikkim Rhododendrons. R. Ralkonsia, the only one found so low as at 7,000 feet, and thence upwards for 3,000 feet more, differs from all its congeners of Northern India in its epiphytal mode of growth,' its sweet-scented flowers, slender habit, whorled branches, and in the length of time during which it continues in bloom. It is much the largest-flowered species with which I am acquainted, and has more membranous leaves than any of the others. With all these striking anomalies, it does not, however, present one character of calyx, corolla, stamens, or pistil, entitling it to separation from the genus. In possessing a large foliaceous ' In Sikkim, Vaccinium offers a parallel case. The V. serpena {?), an epiphyte on very large trees, inhabits a much lower level and ranges through many more feet in elevation than any of its congeners. [In Borneo it will be remembered that Mr. Low discovered epiphytal BJiododendrons; and Mr. "William Lobb, several in Java.—Ed.] OF SlKKnr-riBfALAYA. 11 Tiie Neelgheri'ics, Ceylon, and the Malay Archipelago contain, each, some species which prove tlie affinity of their Floras to that of the Himalaya. The same is the case with the great mountains of Northern Asia, Central, Southern, and, especially, Eastern Europe, the Ural, and Pontiis. The geiius extends even to the Polar regions, diminishing in the size of the species and number as we recede from the Himalaya; in North America they appear again, though under a very different aspect from that they present on the subtropical mountains of Asia. Wide though this distinction is, it is far from uniform, the Himalaya itself offering most remarkable anomalies. My friend Dr. Thomson (now engaged in a botanical mission to Thibet) informs me that the genus is not found in Cashmere; nor, during all the wanderings of that intrepid and indefatigable naturalist in the Trans-Sutledge Himalaya and Thibet, has he met with one representative of it, He detected, indeed, in the country south of the Chenaub, both the B. arhoreum and B. campanulatum, and which is probably their western limit. In North-west India, the genus BJiododendron is first seen on the Kunawur hills, and, advancing east, follows the sub-Himalayan range for its whole length, the species increasing in number as far as Sikkim and Bootan; thence the genus is continued to the Mishmee hills, the eastern extremity of the range, crossing the Brahmaputra to that lofty range which divides the water-shed of the Irawaddi from that of the Brahmaputra. Though scarcely found, throughout this long line of upwards of 1,200 miles, below 4,000 feet, the Rhododendrons still- aifect a warm and damp climate, where the winters are mild. The English naturalist, who is only familiar with the comparatively small hardy American and European species, would scarcely expect this. Acertain degree of winter-cold and perpetual humidity is necessary; but the summer-heat is quite tropical where some of the genus prevail, and snow rarely falls and never rests on several of those peculiar to Sikkira. B. arboreum, according to Captain Madden, inhabits various localities between 3,000 and 10,000 feet: this is in Kamaoon, where, of course, the genus would descend lowest; and the range is incomparably greater than that of any other species, at least of those found in Sikkim.' Dr. Griffith, after extended wanderings in Bootan, gives the limits of the genus in that country as between 4,292 and 12,478 feet, which is a lower level by 3,000 feet than they are- known to descend to in Sikkim. In the extreme east of Assam, where the Himalaya itself diverges or sends lofty spurs to stem the Brahmaputra, on the Phien Pass to Ava, Rhododendrons ascend from 6,400 to 12,000 feet, to the upper limit of arboreous vegetation, and perhaps still higher. During my limited excursions in Sikkim. I gathered eleven species (and I believe that more exist), a greater number than Griffith obtained in Bootan; so that I cannot but regard this longitude as the head-quarters of the genns in the Himalaya, and that chain as the especial region of the genus in the Old World. Here, too, I may remark (as is the case with the Conifers of Tasmania and Cacte^ of Mexico), the species are most limited il. habitat. wlier«. numerically, the genus is the largest, the B. arbormm, however, having a much wider range than any other species found in Sikkim. - ' Dr. Hooker Had We inserted "where 7^. is unknown," that is, in Sikkim. But one of his own excellent llgur^ sent home as representing anew spedes, is, I have no hesitation in saying, tlie true R. arboreum, coinci^amg entirely with the ongiia gu_ TirLl E. Sm th (Exotic BoUa , t. 6), and with original specimens given me by the same distinguished botanist and ex.s mg m 1luy ownmvrHerbarium.iiciodi.u. Nor need we be,..•sur rised that Dr.. Hooker,i , i • shouldi,„ahave fallennreiistomedinto thistoerror, the plantswith few thatbooks passand underno thatan henh name I mil whicl. i. the M. mu,iric.« of Zeoker (Plaut. Nilag. com Ic, o.d of Bof. Mog. t. 4381). No one wl.o compnmo .specimens of these two plants can have any hesitation in pronouncing them distinct. 01'' SIKKIM.HIMALAYA. jg Mingled with these are Pyri, Pnmi, Maples, Barben-ies, and Azaleas, Olm, Hew, Limomn, llydranyea, several Capri- foliacem, GauUheria, and Andromeda; the Apple and the Rose are most abundant. Siaunionia. with its glorious racemes of purple flowers, creeps over all; so do Kadsura and Ochna; whilst aCurrant, with erect racemes, grows epiphytally on Phododendron and on Pyrus, The habits of the species of Rhododendron differ considerably, and, confined as I was to one favourable spot by adeluge of rain, I had ample time to observe four of them. R. CampbeUicB, the only one in full flower early in May, is the most prevalent, the ropes of my tent spanning an area between three of them. Some were amass of scarlet blossom, displaying asylvan scene of the most gorgeous description. ' Mr. Nightingale's' Rhododendron groves, I thought, may surpass these in form and luxunauce of foliage, or in outline of individual specimens; but for splendour of colour those of the Himalaya can only be compared with the Butea frondosa of the plains. Many of their trunks spread from the centre thirty or forty feet every way, and together form a hemispherical mass, often forty yards across and from twenty to fifty feet in height! The stems and branches of these aged trees, gnarled and rugged, the bark dark-coloured and clothed with ' At Embley near Eomsey, Hants, tlie seat of AVilliam Edward Nightingale, Esq., whose beautiful grounds boast of drives tlirough what may really be called woods or groves of Rhododendrons, many of them self-sown.—The mention of these grounds (iidortied with exotic Rhododendrons) by a naturalist iluxuriating amidst the aboriginal s])ecies of the lofty mountains of Sikkim-IIimalaya, makes mc desirous to introduce here a brief notice of the plants in question. I couid not trust my own memory for a correct statement of what it has been my privilege to see, but Miss Niglitingale has obligingly communicated to me the following particulars:— "Our Rhododendrons were chiefly planted about thirty years ago: the largest number ate in an exceedingly wet' bottom' of deep black peat full of drains, sheltered with sloping banks of Birch and Fir, with a good deal of Laurel, large Kalmias and Azaleas near the road. This part was originally a nursery-garden of about four acres: the shrubs have been cutcontinually to keep the road clear, and now make a bank seventeen or eighteen feet high. They are scattered over the high ground {a dry black sand) for about two miles, where tliey covcv another bank of heathery soil and another bottom of the deep peat. There are not above a dozen of tlic R. maximum amongst tlieiu, and about three times as many of the arhoreum and hybrid Scarlets, which we find quite hardy, but which seem to flower best in tlie liigh and dry situations. The Poniioum and var. roseum seed themselves to a great extent, aud the consequence is an immense variety in the sliajje, size, and colour of the flowers, hardly any two plants being quite alike. "The largest single Rhododendron isone hundred and fifty feet round and twenty feet high: there are several ofiniiety-seven and ninety- eight feet round, butthese have been cramped for room by their neighbours. The tallest I cau find grows between aBirch and aPortugal Laurel, and is twenty-five feet high, its single upright stem measuring nineteen inches incircumference. It is quite an exce}>lioii, for lliey fork generally immediately on emerging from the ground; aud thougli there is oue whicli measures five feet ten inches in the girth ofits trunk an iiicli from theground, yet as he leaves his good ways and divides immediately after, I am not sure you will grant hira Ids diploma as a tree. The forks are from eighteen inches to two feet in circumference. The variegated kind, witli long footstalks to the flowers, has perlmps tire thickest stem with us. The outside branches of the large individuals root themselves all round, and make impenetrable thickets. We plant out tlic seedlings, which come up very thickly wherever an open sjjace gives them room, and they are now scattered over most of the wild ground about. "I think this is pretty nearly all we have to tell, but we may add that the Kalmias and Yellow Azaleas are some of them ten feet high and wide in proportion." It may be interesting to record some particulars of another favoured spot for Rliododericlroiis, namely, Penllorgavo, Glamorgan, the seat of Dillwyn Llewellyn, Esq., who writes in reply to my queries:— "The soil and climate of this district suit that class of plants well, as is attested by the seedlings of the common Rhododendron Poniicum, which appear in thousands throughout ourwoods. The rougli sketch I enclose is of this species: it measures in height fifteen feet ten inches, aud completely covers a circumference of one hundred and ten feet. The plant grows by itself upon a lawn, without any trees to overshadow or interfere with it, and it forms a perfectly symmetrical audcompact shrub, witii dense foliage and short-jointed wood. " We have also a specimen of R. arhoreum, var. roseum, nine feet four inches in height, and in circumfereuce forty-eight feet: it was planted fifteen years ago and has never received the slightest protection. Like tlie last, it stands alone on a lawn, and is of a beautifully compact form. It has 3,200 flower-biids now upon it. The single stem from wliich it rises measures oue foot nine inches in girth. "The American species also flourisli here with great vigour. Aspecimen ofR. Catawhlense measures nine feet six inches in.Jieight, and covers forty-one feet six inches of circumference: this, however, is much younger than either of the preceding. It is also,growing under the shade of large oak-trees, for which reason it is somRwIiat drawn and not "o fine and thick in its growth as it might othefwise have been." It may be observed that Mr. Louden, in liis ' Arboretum Britannicura,' has not described any specimens of Rhododendron arhoreum of the size above given. The largest lie has noticed are at Wimbledon House, thirty-three feet in tlie spread of its branches; at CuffiicUs in Hampshire, thirty-nine feet ditto; Woburn Abbey, twenty-eight feet ditto; 8hi])lcy Hiill, Derbyshire, fifty-six feet ditto, and sixteen feet the greatest iuight.—En. 14 THERHODODENDRONSOESIKKIM-HlMiaAY^. „o.,ofte„benddownandtoncbthegeonnd:thefcUage, iescant,,dashgteenand graeeM;sothatnotwithstandingthegorgeouscolouringoftheblossoms,thetreeswhenoutofower, J ofOapeHorn,arethegloom,deuiseusofamostgloom,region,if,Car^fhema:and tarUtu,.Iobservedtofhngea littleswampytarnonthesummitofthemonnt.in,-apeenliarl,ohilly-lookiug,smalllake,borderedwrthSphafnu^.an half-chokedwithCaricesandothersedges;theatmospherewasdoadedwithmist,andtheplaceseems beaguishifitcould,butwascheckedb,thecoldclimate,if.haMu,nhadalmostpasseditsfloweringseason:itisa lessabundantandsmaUertreethanthelastmentioned,butmorebeautifulinthebrightergreenanddenserfoliage,dean, papery,light-colonredbark,thewholeformingamorepicturesquemass. Alongthenorth-eastandexposedridgesonly,grewtheB.Falconeri,infoUageincomparablythefinest.It throwsoutoneortwotrunks,cleanandsmooth,thirtyfeetorsohigh,sparinglybranched:thebranchesterminated bytheimmenseleaves,deepgreenabove,edgedwithyellow,andrustyred-brownbelow.Theflowersaresmaller,but morenumerousineachheadthanin thetwolastmentioned{B.CampbellimandB. barbatum). Thetemperatureoftheearthinwhichtheabovespeciesgrew,was,inthemiddleofMay,attwenty-seveninches belowthesnrfacc,wheretherootsarechieflydeveloped.49°5 at allhoursoftheday: thatof the air variedfrom 50° to 60° In namingthenewspeciesbeforemeofthiseminentlyHimalayangenus,I havewishedto recordtheservices ofsomeofthosegentlemenwho,besidesMr.Grifflth(towhoma specieshadbeenalreadydedicatedbyDr.Wight),have mostdeeplystudiedthevegetableproductionsofthecountry:theyareDrs.Wallich,Royle,andFalconer.Withtheir namesthatofDr.Campbell,thePoliticalResidentat Darjeeling,authorof variousexcellentEssayson theAgriculture, Arts,Products,andPeople,&c.,of NepalandSikkim,is no lessappropriatelyassociated";and in complimentto his amiableLadyI designatethatRhododendronwhichis mostcharacteristicof Darjeelingvegetation;whileto the Lady ofthepresentGovernor-GeneralofIndia,I have,as a markofgratefulesteemandrespect,dedicatedthe noblestspecies of the whole race. / B. H. -v." / " . rt-I,J Ts" THE RHODODENDRONS OP SIKKIM-HIMALAYA CONSPECTUS SPECIERUM INDI^ OEIENTALIS. I. Calyx obsolete. Corolla broadly campamdaie, hemispherical at the base. Staviens 18-20 {rarely 10). Ovary tmially glanduloso-pubescent and villous, many (10-20) celled.—Trees. Leaves ample. Flowers white or pale purple, capitate, often crowded. 1. R. Falconeri, Hook. fil. Tab. X. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya; outer and inner ranges. Mountain-tops and valleys. Elev. 10-12,000 feet. Note. The natural size of the flowers of this species is often as great as that given for the magnified figure (fig. 2) in the plate quoted, in which case the capitula are fewer-flowered. Leaves often fifteen inches long and eight broad. Capsule densely villoso-tomentose, oblong-cylindrical, obtuse, slightly curved, an inch and a half long, half an inch wide. Seeds pale-brown. 2. R. aryenteum, Hook. fil. Tab. IX Hab. Sfltkim-Himalaya; inner and outer ranges. Elcv. 8,000—10,000 feet. It flowered very abundantly in April of 1849. Note. Stamens generally eighteen in number. Capsules puberulous, oblong-cylindrical, obtuse at both ends, one and a half to two inches long. Seeds pale. 3. K. Hodgsoni, Hook. fil. Tab. XV. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Elev. 10-12,000 feet. 4. '^.grande, Wight, Icon. t. 1202. Hab. Biiootan, GriJJith. i>l ij l^-'! fi*^ i-i V": .-i . I •«' ''fiS«'l'''U '^1 jii t \^. *.J ^ ^i' •• I.'"' '' ! V ^ •V ..I ^liii.j.': V.' L i'.- 1 L' j 1 I •«'•- it= » 1^ I" if * I '• bl ' l> f; |T. I'-^f i , ii . .uu'^ .1: k': •ji .y 2 THE RHODODENDRONS .eflU® .-htis. P ; vsl' . 0^nr 11. Ctdyx cupvlar, hemispherical m'smtdliform,obsoletsly lohed. Corolla campamlate, fi-Jobed. Stamens \Q 16. l5' Ovary %-\&-celled.—LaryeJloweriny shrubs. Leaves 'very glabrous. ' •X.y" lay*'" 5. R. Auchlandii, Hctok. fil. Tab. XL Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Elev. 7-9,000 feet, rare. libc Alt- 6. R. GriffitUi, Wight, Icon. t. 1203. "all • bt • babt® ^first abri^^ Hab. Bhootan, Griffith. O!ggnotto" . ^odoveSH 7. R. Thomsoni, Hook. fil. Tab. XH. Ll Hab. Sikkiin-Himalaya. Elev. 11-13,000 feet, abundant. 8. R. Candelabrum, Hook. fil. Tab. XXIX. loiver Fl- Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Elev. 11-13,000 feet. inteighthmanif^ayof an incbmai ' yalves III. Calyx subfoUaceous, h-partite, lobes submembranaceous. Corolla infmidibulifonn or campanulate, tube •thaveneverfonndtheflowersofthi-.a . elongated.. Stamens 10-18. Ovary ?>-Q-celled.—Shrubs; frequently Epiphytes. Flowers white. Leaves E generally l^idote beneath. fil 16. '^.pumilum, Hook, fil- Tab. • 9. R. Ealkousice, Hook. fil. Tab. I. II. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Zemu and T lilo. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya; outer and inner ranges. Elev. 6,000-9,000 feet. Fl. May, June; fr. October. Note. Gemmm terminal, strobiliform, one and a half to two inches long; scales broad-orbicular, concave, very rv. Calya; mall or obsolete, coriaceous, almost woody, pale-tawny, glabrous, ciliated towards the apex. Leaves glanduloso-punctate and rough with squamules. Petioles sometimes setose. Capsules large, woody, bnear-oblong, rufous, slightly its base, and sm curved, muticous, 5-angled, punctato-glandulose, the valves linear, recurved at the apex, obscurely keeled at the or clothed beneath^ back, the axis terminated by the persistent style. Seeds pale yellow. Sm. p. 10. R. Edgeworthii, Hook. fil. Tab. XXI. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Elev. 7-9,000 feet. Ho V ^ 11. R. barbatum. Wall., Hook. fil. Tab. III. '"•wenin alb^ Hab. Gossaiug-Than, Nepal, Waaioh. Sikkim-Himalava. On spurs of mountains, and in valleys. Elev. 9,000- S4iitn.ll. 11,000 feet. Mrt. Note. Branches, peduncles, and calyces glabrous or setose. Leaves beneath quite glabrous or sub-vUlous Capsules on , has V -f-Te'e i generally glandulose, rarely quite glabroae, glunas stipitate. Very vnrkble in the degree of hairiness, but other- Hfi, Ai wise a well-marked species. 12. R. lancifolium, Hook. fil. Tab. IV Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Elev. 8-10,000 feet. Note. Probably only aglabrous small-flowered and small-leaved variety of M. barbatum. 'Ho,,/ ' 13. R. cUiatum, Hook. fil. (n. sp.) Tab. XXIV. Hab. Sikhm-Himalaya. Lachen and Lachoong valleys. Elev. 9-10 ODD feet Ji!. „ "otu 'Hi 14. R. ylaucum, Hook. fil. Tab. XVII. Had. Sikkim-HimnUja. Chok, Laehen, and Lachoong passes. Elev. 10-12,000 feet > « *i.. '» h, 1. •^>5. N _ V, % X;x \>:v V •I OF SIKKIM-HIMALAYA. 3 15. R. vaccimoides. Hook. fil. (n. sp.); fruticulus laxe vage ramosus, caulibus ramisque gracilibiw tubereulatis ultimis petiolis pedunculis foliisque subtus sparse squamulosis, foliis coriaceis obovatis obtusis emarginatisve superne glaberrimis subter paUidioribus. pediceUis subtermiaalibua solitariis gracilibus, lobis ealycinis ovatis obtusis, capsula parva graciJi curvata 5-locuIari, valvis submembranaceis. Has. Sikkim-Himalaya; epiphytal, or growing on moist rocks, in very damp places, on the inner and outer rangra. Alt. 6-8,000 feet. Fl.? Asmall, very slender, straggling species, sometimes pendulous from trunks of trees, and then two feet long, of of abright green colour, and so like acommon Sikkim species of Vaccinium {V. obovatum, Wight, Icon. 1.1193) as not to be distinguishable at first sight. Stems no thicker than a dove squill, scabrid with tubercles, indicating the former position of scales, which still clothe^ the ramuli, petioles, and, more sparingly, the under surface of the foliage. Leaves coriaceous, three-fourths to one inch long, obovate or even spathulate, the lamina produced downwards to the very base of the petiole; upper surface abright green, lower paler. Peduncles of the fruit as long as the leaves, slender. Cal^x small, but manifestly foliaceous. Capsules curving, narrow, pale-coloured, and membranous, an inch long, scarce one- eighth of an inch in diameter, valves linear, torulose, a little scaly on the back. Seeds pale-coloured. I have never found the flowers of this singular and very distinct little species. 16. pumilum, Hook. fil. Tab. XIV. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Zemu and T'hlonok rivers, rare. Elev. 12-14,000 feet. IV. Cdlyx small or obsolete, rarely ^-toothed, lobes equal. Corolla campanulate, ormth the limb contracted - below its base, and subinfundibidiform. Stamens 10. Ovary h-lO-celled.—Shrubs, yenerally glabrous or clothed beneath, sometimes lepidote. 17. R. arboreum, Sm. Exot. Flora, t. 6. (supra p. 6), not Wight, Ic. t. 1201. Hab. Himalaya Mountains : from Bhootan to the western extremity. Elev. 5-8,000 feet. 18. R. CampbeUia, Hook. fil. Tab. VI. R. Nilagirioum, Eook. Pot. Mag. t. 4381 {not Zenker).—var. /3. flore albo. R. arboreum, album, WaU. Ic. Bar. Ind. Or. vol. ii. p. 23. t. 123 ? Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya on both the outer and inner ranges, at elevations of from 7-10,—and even 11,000 feet.— /9. Mountain of Sheopore in Nepal. Dr. Wallieh. Note. It has been already stated that the chief difference between this and B. arboreum consisted in the rusty dull (unpolished) tomentum ofthe underside of the leaf of B. CampbeUia, as compared with the silvery compact filmy clothing of the latter. Dr. T. Thomson assures me that in Western Himalaya, where B. arboreum is so common, it is never otherwise than silveiy and white beneath. Since I have seen the figure ofB. Nilagiricum in the Botanical Magazine, Tab. 4381,1 am quite disposed to consider the present species identical with that, exactly agreeing with that in the shape of the leaves, as well as in other characters, and since that is acknowledged to have differently-formed leaves from the true B. Nilagiricum of Zenker, and also said to be from Nepal, not from the Neelgherries, we can hardly doubt but that it may safely be brought as a synonym to our B. Campbelliee •. perhaps, also. Dr. Wallich's B. nobile (Wall. Cat. n. 1521, excluding 2) is not different, but this is nowhere accurately described, and possibly B. dnnammeum (which by many is boosidered a variety of B. arboreum) of the same author, from Nepal. I have not seen B. Campbellice below 7,000 feet, whereas B. arboreum, verum, ranges from 5,000 to 8,000 feet. 19. R. Nilagiricum, Zenker, Plant. Nilag. cumlc. {potHook. Pot. Mag. t.4381). R. arboreum, Wight, Ic. 1.1201 {notSm) R. nobile. Wall. Cat. n. 1521. 2 {not 1). Hab. Neelgherry hills, abundant. Wight, Zenkex, and others. !i•1^ '" «• I- r'^ -r ^ tc k-SyJ' I i S f .. .•••!;: ff'U: . '• ^ f/\ • I 1''* H Ui'-- : M '•. vi.p'.' •-'i' !, ;P r ; f' V-'' ^6- y2- >V- THE RHODODENDRONS fil- P Mte. Difficult as it may be to define the characters of this species in words, yet we believe that no one can see our native specimens in the herbarium without feeling assured that it is adistinct species, and truly diffim%nt 0A»- fil- from any found in the north of India. There is apeculiarity in the firm and hard texture of the broad foliage, tloo]c. 12 * - with its strongly recurved margins, and the .deeply impressed venation and opake green colour; and astill stronger distinguishing mark is in the almost globose strobilus, formed by the scales of the united flowers while in young 28. % bud, and which is admirably represented in Dr. Wight's plate above quoted. The nearest approach to this is V fil ' in the Rhododendron from Adam's Peak and other mountains of Ceylon, which, I believe, has never been Elev. 11- described, though it has been considered, while there was believed to be only one tree Rhododendron in India, as !9- R. arboreum, and it is cultivated in nurseries under the name of R. Zeylanicum. This has darkerfoliage than Hab- R. Nilagiricum, and is much larger in allits parts. 20. R. nobile. Wall Cat. n. 1521 (not 2, whifch is R. Nilagiricuvi). V short, conaoeoo., Has. Kamaon. Dr. WaUich. sLtte. Corolla funnol-shr 21. R. nvoeum. Hook, fil.; arbuscula vage ramosa, cortice fusco rugoso, ramulis pubescentibus, foliis obovato-Ianceolatis M.-Sltrttbs. Leaves h'P breve petiolatis obtusis v. subacutis super glaberrimis opacis subter petioloque tomento appresso niveo traxius fuscescente) lanatis, capitulis densissimis, pedicellis brevibus, calyce obsoleto, capsulis oblongo-cylindraceis tomentosis utrinque obtusis fi-locularibus, valvis lignosis, seminibus pallidis. 30. R. Maddeni, Hook. fil. Tab. III i- Hab. Sikldm-Himalaya; rocky vaUeys and ridges, Lachen, Lachoong. and Chola; elev. 10-12,000 feet, not Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Lachcn unfrequent. M. ? Ih. November. s: AsmJl rugged-barked tree, baring tbe habit and general appearance of B. arboreum, with which and B Hook. fil. T\B V CampbelUu: it grows fteguently intermixed, bat may be distinguished, even at a distance, by the snow-white nnder-snrf.ce of the leaf. On acloser inspection this is seen to be caused by an appressed iiocculent tomentum oeeupymg both surfaces of the vety young leaf, and sometimes of arusty-red hue. In the two quoted allies the the leaf .s narrower and the whitish hue or sUvery lustre of the under-surfaee of the leaf is not removable and »« shining. Ue npper snrfaee of the leaf of this is opake, but in if. Oampbemrn. polished. Capsulee feet , . , The present mhahls amuch hgher elevalron than that naually occupied by B. arboreum. The flowers I have never seen. T'' genus n,Pendent, "1 23. ^.formom,. Wall., Bl. Mat. Bar. vol. iii. p. 207- Hook. Bet. Map. t. 4457. E. Gibsoni, Bortulan letter 1 ... ''^1^ Hab. Mountains bordering on Silhet. Br. WdKeh. Mr. Griffith, and Mr. Gibaou. . ^ have 28. K. eamfauulatum, Don. Wem. Tram. vol. iii. p. 409. TTatt. Cat. n. 766. Booh Bot Ma t 194 "1 n. oi ' 'if Hab. Gossaing-Than in Nepal; and Kamaon. WaUioh, Bamilton. ji 24. R. WaUicMi, Hook.fil. Tab. V. Has Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya; on spurs and in valleys of the inner 4 X fi. October. ; elev. 11-13,000 feet. M. June • 'e. Y Hi WofepuhesceutDistinguishedor vdlous.fromCapsulesif. eea,y,„ufufc»liuear, slightlyby thecurved,eonspionousnearly ereccalyxwoodLaavT^Wath.f • half long. Seeds pale. ^ ® ^ ^"ch to au inch and a 25. R. Wtghtii, Hook. fil. Tad. XJIVII. % 6. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Elev. 12-14,Ooq feet %• ' h \ No, >\X V'; -v ^ P ! •I f a ' 1 ^ 1' t-.l • I ^ ' iO •'ll OP SIKKIM-niMALAYA. 26. R. lanaimi. Hook. fil. Tab. XVI. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya, at Jongri and Chola. Elev. 10—12,000 feet. 27. Hook. fil. Tab. XXV. Hab. Sikkim-Hiraalaya. Elev. 12-14,000 feet. 28. R. (sruginosim, Hook. fil. Tab. XXII. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Elev. 12-14,000 feet. 29. R. campylocarpum. Hook. fil. Tab. XXX. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Elev. 11-14,000 feet. V. Calyx short, coriaceous, h-lobed or ^-dentate, lobes short, one (the upper) generally elongated, sometimes suhvlaie. Corolla funnel-shaped, tube narrowed, lobes rounded or acute. Stamens 10-20. Ovary 5-10- celled.Shrubs. Leaves lepidote beneath. Flowers closely capitate. 30. R. Maddeni, Hook. fil. Tab. XVIII. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Lachen and Lachoong valleys, very rare. Elev. 0,000 feet. 31. R. cinnabarinum, Hook. fil. Tab. VIII. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya; chiefly in valleys and on the skirts of woods, elev. 10-12,000 feet, abundant. Fl. June; Jr. November. Note. Shrub six feet high, very elegant; branches and branchlets virgate. Corymb spreading. Peduncles h^f an inch long. Flowers pendent. Capsules small, half an inch long, ovate, obtuse.—One of the most elegant species of tlje genus, but very inefficiently represented at our Tab. VIII. Its pendulous or drooping flowers, when in perfection, are peculiarly graceful. Itis universally considered poisonous to cattle and goats : of the latter I have seen many die, from eating either of this or of a species of Andromeda-,—latter is notorious for this property throughout Sikkim, Nepal, and N. W. Himalaya. If employed for fuel, the smoke of R. cinnabarinum causes the eyes to inflame and the cheeks to swell. 32. R. Roylei, Hook. fil. Tab. VII. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya. Elev. 10-11,000 feet. Note. Very near, it must be confessed, to R. cinnabarinum. VI. Calyx subfoUaceous, h-partite, lobes coriaceouA or membranaeeous. Tube of the corolla short, tinged at the base, the lobes patent, concave. Stamens 8-10. Style subclavate, short, decurved, valid! Stigma thickened, disd/orm. Ovary ^-celled.—Shrubs, often maU, epiphytes or imestrid. Leaves fexc^i in R. pendulum) densely lepidote. 33. R. camellie^ortm, Hook. fil. Tab. XXVIII. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya; generally pendent from the trunks of trees, sometimes rocks. Elev. 9-11,000 feet. OF STKKIM-HIMALAYA / 40. R. virgatum, Hook. fil. Tab. XXVI. A. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya; skirts of Pine-forests, Elev, 8-9,000 feet. 41. R. nivale, Hook. fil. Tab. XXVI. B. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya; on the loftiest bare slopes on the Thibetan frontier. Elov. 10-18,000 feet. 42. R. setosum. Hook. fil. Tab. XX. Hab. Sikkim-Himalaya; open stony and rocky places. Elev. 13-16,000 feet. Vni. Calgx b-phgllom, lobes membranaceous. Corolla hypocrateriform, lube narrow, cylindrical, limb plane, patent. Stamens 6-8, included. Style short, clamte. Ovary ^-celled.—Small lepidoie shrubs. 43. R. anthopogon, Don, 2Vans. Wern. Soc. vol. iii. p. 409 Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 3947. R. aromaticum, IFall. Cat. n. 1520. Hab. Gossaing-Than, Nepal, and Kamaon, Wallich, Hamilton-, Sikkim-Himalaya: rocky, open, especiallv gravelly places, abundant. Elev. 12—16,000 feet. Note. Astrongly and far more disagreeably and heavily odorous plant than B. setosum. This, the Palu of the Bhofeas, shares with the Tsallu [B. setosum) the blame of exciting the headache and nausea attending ascents to the dreaded elevations of the Eastern Himalaya. In the Herbarium its permanent odour is more disagreeable than that of any of the genus. Nothing, however, can exceed the beauty of its flowers, whether we consider tlie exquisitely tender, membranaceous, translucent texture of the corolla, with its delicate nervation, or the rich blush of the first opening blossoms, which insensibly passes into sno\vy white, then faintly tinged with sulphur—all colours seen on one and the same plant. ;.'Sv-'i •Nsi '••: ''illj •SI • rilii&b!.,' Tab. I 'j- .'' ^ • j •,/' • '-L i 'I :l i • !» p, '} i ?1 > {'1hi nativelocality) :.ii ' I: WTf^. ' • * ,i; • « •- •• Ilk ? f ' '11 r;:l ( : ^;:B »• . » h J ik:f\ ®I ti < '-»• qV oV Tab. II at c. r V •IjstaW'®'"""j„peti"'""', fove'''-'*' Fr trees, coroi „ka of the tm parflsitJ"'icol on Ha»- to Jnly- Astraggling aaiJroidea,uponthetnuihsofla.gc patent,whorled,thewhorlsdistant;eachl>i orreflexed,petiolate,about four inclics aiu naceous,obtuse at the base, attenuatcil Ik-1< plane(notrevolute),theuppersurface.larki i» !•; "ft veryminute,scattered rusty-colourc'd V' theratherdose parallel of-wkchisgreatp^*i. than that tl-e le;, ®''®bvanaceo„s.•-"iana( c„, , " "i^ves, lob lai'rrg 1 ''8=.three """ft-With lllcllcs • 1 La ttnrr, >al fose '•^i^yhrn... 111 "•"•''ft-yfeOo-)., "O"'''"""deo' iin :: i Cpi. •^kly ^^ •^Ik. "tth;e Seiv '\e -ft< tve, h 'Pi be •>.,V ' < '0\V •Nt M., • J ,! m t M 5 IM- \ «t.-- 1 4 i' I I <•1'' i^: