Rhododendron shepherdii Nutt.

It seems doubtful if the real R. shepherdii be now in cultivation, but as plants under the name exist in gardens and as the name itself is familiar to rhododendron lovers, a few words may be given to it. The true plant was discovered in 1850 in the Assam Himalaya by Booth, on the notable journey during which he found R. nuttallii, R. boothii, and R. hookeri. Nuttall, when describing the various new species of the journey, was only able to put on record the characters of the leaves and leaf-buds of R. shepherdii. According to the Botanical Magazine of 1859, the figure which appeared there was made from a plant which Nuttall himself had flowered at Nutgrove in Cheshire. As no authentic specimen of the wild R. shepherdii appears to exist in the leading herbaria, this figure must be regarded as the base on which this rhododendron as a species stands (Bot. Mag., t. 5125).

From the Supplement (Vol. V)

A species of uncertain status, possibly identical with R. kendrickii.