QBARS - v8n4 Plants That Received American Rhododendron Society Awards 1954

Plants That Received A.R.S. Awards 1954
American Rhododendron Society Awards Committee - Seattle Area
B. O. Mulligan, Chairman

The five members of this Committee met at the University of Washington Arboretum, Seattle, on June 20th, 1954, announcement of the meeting having previously been made to the leading local hybridizers.

A number of seedling rhododendrons submitted by Mr. H. Lem, Mr. E. Ostbo, and Mr. C. Prentice were considered by the Committee; a Preliminary Award was unanimously given to "Mrs. Donald Graham" and to "Souldis," both shown by Mr. Endre Ostbo of Bellevue, Washington.

It was recommended that the following should be grown for trial in the Test Garden as soon as possible:

From Mr. Lem:
R. 'Diva' X R. 'Albatross'
A large red form of R. 'Daydream'.
R. Flame No. 2.

From Mr. Ostbo:
R. Lily No. 3.

From Mr. Prentice:
R. 'John Coutts'
R. elliottii hybrid No. 5.

The committee also visited Mr. D. G. Graham's garden in order to see a group of 'Mrs. Donald Graham' in full bloom, as well as other varieties including Lily No. 3 and 'Souldis' which had been shown at the meeting.

Rhododendron 'Souldis' P.A .
Leaves: 4-5 inches long, 1¾ inches wide, oblong-elliptic, acute at apex, cordate at base, glabrous, dark green and slightly shining above, glaucescent beneath where the midrib is prominently raised, lateral veins 12-15 pairs, petiole glabrous, 1-1½ inches long.
Flowers: borne in a lax truss of 7-9 on a short glabrous rachis, each 3½-4 inches wide when fully expanded, widely funnel to bowl shaped, with 7 notched petals 1-1¼ inches long, 1¼-1½ inches wide, blush pink fading to almost white with age, upper half of tube streaked rose at base, slightly fragrant; pedicels 1-1¾ inches long, glabrous or very sparingly glandular, often tinged reddish; calyx very small, sepals irregular in size and shape, edged with reddish glands; stamens 14, of uneven length (¾-l¼ inches); the lowest longest, glabrous; style 1¼ inches long, covered with red glands from base to tip; ovary cylindrical, also densely glandular; stigma capitate, reddish.

The R. H. S. Rhododendron Handbook (1952) states that this fine hybrid was raised and introduced by the late Mr. E. J. Magor of Cornwall, England, in 1927; apparently it has not received any award in the country of its origin.

Description made from plant growing in Mr. D. G. Graham's garden, Seattle, originally from Mr. E. Ostbo's nursery, Bellevue, Wash.

Rhododendron 'Mrs. D. G. Graham' P.A.
Leaves : borne on usually smooth (rarely with a few short dark glandular hairs), 1-1½ inches long stalks, lanceolate, 4½-7 inches long, 1¼-2 inches wide, apex acute, base broadly wedge shaped to sub-rounded, upper surface smooth, matte, lower also smooth, glaucescent, the midrib prominently ridged with about 18-21 pairs of raised veins.
Inflorescence of 8-10 flowers of substantial texture; rachis, pedicels and calyx glandular with numerous white glands; pedicels 1-l¼ inches long, calyx small, slightly lobed; tube 1 in. long, glandular on the upper side, otherwise glabrous outside but sparsely pubescent within, colored Spinel Red (H.C.C. 0023/1) and also on a line down the back of the petals; flowers widely expanded, 4½-5 inches diameter, each petal 1½ inches wide, 1¼ inches long, Tyrian rose (H.C.C. 24/2 to 24/3) rounded, notched at the apex, undulate along the margin.
Stamens: 12-13, rose tinged and pubescent in lower half, uneven in length (1½-2 inches); anthers chocolate brown, pollen creamy white, plentiful.
Style: 2½ inches long, glandular almost to the apex, pubescent in lower half, colored Spinel Red in upper fifth; ovary densely covered with purplish pink glands. (FIG. 39).

A seedling from R. 'Corona' X R. griersonianum X R. 'Loderi', originating from English seeds, raised by Mr. E. Ostbo, Bellevue, Wash.