QBARS - v35n1 Book Review: The Rhododendron Handbook 1980

BOOK REVIEW
Ed Egan, Tigard, OR

The Rhododendron Handbook 1980: Rhododendron Species in Cultivation
Published by the Royal Horticultural Society

This long awaited new edition contains 362 pages and includes such new material as 62 pages of charts comparing the old Balfourian Classification System and the new Cullen and Chamberlain revision. The table incorporates the Philipsons' (1975) revision of the Lapponicum Series, but does not include the Azalea Series and their close relatives in the Ovatum and Stamineum Series; the revision of these groups, by the Philipsons, is still in progress. This cross reference is followed by the 43 Balfourian Series including Section Vireya with Series descriptions and list of species belonging in each Series. The species descriptions are organized alphabetically for easy location and incorporate all Vireya Section species known to be in cultivation.

Also, in this publication are: a list of species not in cultivation; an extensive list of synonyms, followed by an expanded list of collector's numbers.