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Azalea Pontica. Yellow Azalea.
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Class and Order.
Pentandria Monogynia.
Generic Character.
Cor. campanulata. Stamina receptaculo inserta. Caps. 2–5 locularis polysperma.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
AZALEA pontica foliis nitidis lanceolatis, utrinque glabris, racemis terminalibus. Linn. Sp. Pl. App. p. 1669. Pall. Fl. Ross. t. 69. p. 51.
CHAMÆRHODENDROS Pontica maxima Mespili folio flore luteo. Tourn. Cor. Hist. Rei. Herb. 42. Act. Paris 1704. p. 348. Buxb. Cent. 5. p. 36. t. 69.
Descr. Shrub from two to three feet or more in height, the thickest part of the stem not exceeding the size of the little finger, covered with a smooth brown bark, irregularly branched; Flowers appearing before the leaves are fully expanded, and produced in umbels at the extremities of the branches, from eight to twelve or more in an umbel, of a fine yellow colour and agreeable fragrance; each blossom is about the size of that of the horse-chesnut, and as some of them are produced much earlier than others, the plan of course continues a considerable time in bloom, standing on short peduncles; Calyx very short, viscous, and irregularly divided, most commonly into five ovate-lanceolate segments; Corolla, tube cylindrical, viscous, grooved, brim divided into five segments, undulated and somewhat wrinkled, ovate, pointed, three turning upwards, two downwards, of the three uppermost segments the middle one more intensely yellow than the others and inclining to orange, with which it is sometimes spotted; Stamina usually five, yellow, projecting beyond the corolla, and turning upwards near their extremities; Antheræ orange-coloured; Pollen whitish and somewhat angular; Style yellowish, filiform, projecting beyond the stamina, and turning upwards; Stigma forming a round green head.
