QBARS - v21n2 Rhododendrons on Stamps

Rhododendrons on Stamps

Recently we saw a stamp from the country of Lebanon which looked strangely like a rhododendron truss with a circle of leaves. Sure enough, inquiry brought out that Lebanon had put out a series of stamps including various flowering plants, one of which was the rhododendron. There is no information at this time as to what variety or species was pictured, but it was a tight truss, of the ponticum type.

Then in the November 10 issue of "Western Stamp Collector," two stamps from Papua and New Guinea were described. The 20 cent stamp pictures R. macgregoriae , a species which was named for one of Papua's pioneer jurists and is said to grow all over the island.

R. konori is shown on the 60 cent stamp. Its flowers vary from a pure white to deep pink and have a strong carnation-like scent. It is a Papuan rhododendron which has been brought into cultivation extensively in Australia and Europe.

These two species of course belong in the Malaysian group which we are beginning to hear more about.

Is there any reason why we should not be thinking of a rhododendron stamp one of these days for the U.S.A., at least as one of a series illustrating important plant groups, so much a feature of daily life in this country?