Monogr. Azaleas 141-142 (1921)
WFO ID: wfo-0001047059
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:219434-2
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Shrub or small tree to 3(-5)m tall, usually non-rhlzomatous; young twigs red- or yellow-brown, sparsely to densely covered with unicellular and multicellular eglandular hairs, occasionally only multicellular eglandular hairs present, rarely with both unicellular and multicellular gland-tipped hairs. Vegetative bud scales glabrous to sparsely unicellular pubescent abaxially; margin unicel-lular-ciliate, rarely ciliate and glandular. Leaf blade membranaceous, ovate or obovate to elliptic, 6.1-7.7(-9.4) x 1.9-2.3(-2.4)cm; base acute to oblique; apex acute to obtuse, often mucronate; adaxial surface sparsely to densely covered with unicellular and multicellular eglandular hairs, the young unfolding leaves rarely with multicellular gland-tipped hairs, occasionally glabrous to sparsely covered with only unicellular hairs, rarely only with scattered multicellular eglandular hairs, the midvein sparsely to densely covered with unicellular hairs; abaxial surface sparsely to densely covered with unicellular hairs, rarely glabrous, the midvein and secondary veins densely covered with unicellular and multicellular eglandular hairs, rarely with multicellular gland-tipped hairs; margin entire, ciliate with multicellular eglandular hairs; petiole 0.2-0.5(-0.8)cm long. Flower bud scales chestnut brown; abaxial surface glabrous to very sparsely covered with unicellular hairs; margin unicellular ciliate. Flowers appearing before or as the leaves expand; inflorescence a shortened raceme of 6 to 12 flowers. Pedicels (0.4-)0.6-0.9(-l ,2)cm long; usually sparsely to densely covered with unicellular, multicellular eglandular and gland-tipped hairs, but occasionally lacking unicellular or multicellular gland-tipped hairs. Sepals less than 0.1-0.2 (-l.O)mm long, often varying in length on the same flower; margins setose with multicellular eglandular hairs, rarely glandular-fimbriate; abaxial surface sparsely to densely covered with unicellular and multicellular eglandular hairs, occasionally only with unicellular hairs, or with unicellular and multicellular gland-tipped hairs, or with unicellular, multicellular eglandular and gland-tipped hairs. Corolla white with a yellow blotch on the upper corolla lobe, fragrance sweet and delicate, the tube longer than the limb and gradually expanding into it; upper corolla lobe 0.9-1.4(-1.5)x(0.7-)0.8-1.2(-1.3)cm;laterallobes(1.0-)l.l-1.7(-1.9)x(0.5-)0.6-1.0(-1.2)cm corolla tube (1.6-)1.7-2.4(-2.8) x 0.1-0.3(-0.4)cm wide at base; outer surface of corolla sparsely to densely covered with unicellular and multicellular gland-tipped hairs, the gland-tipped hairs often continuing In tines up the corolla lobes; Inner surface of corolla densely covered with unicellular hairs. Stamens (3.7-)4.5-6.1(-6.6)cm long, with dense terete or flattened unicellular hairs on proximal 2.3-3,4(-3.8)cm of filament, exserted (1.7-)2.5-3.9(-4.5)cm beyond throat of corolla. Style (3.5-)4.4-6.4(-7.4)cm long, with dense unicelluar hairs on proximal (0.0-)0.4-1.3(-1.7)cm, exserted (1.7-)2.7-4.3(-5.2)cm beyond throat of corolla, stigma (0.15-)0.12-0.2 (-0.3)cm wide. Ovary 0.2-0.4cm long, 0.1-0.2cm wide at the base, densely covered with multicellular eglandular hairs over unicellular hairs, rarely with multicellular gland-tipped hairs or with both eglandular and gland-tipped hairs. Capsules (1.4-)1.5-2.1(-2.2) x 0.3-0.4cm, narrowly ovate to cylindiic, moderately to densely covered with unicellular hairs and sparsely to moderately covered with multicellular eglandular hairs. Seeds pale to dark chestnut brown, ovate or elliptic to fusiform, (1.8-)2.1-3.2(-3.8) x 0.4-0.8(-1.0)mm, body (0.9-)l.l-1.8(-1.9) x 0.2-0.5mm; testa expanded and dorsiventrally flattened surrounding the body, the cells elongate, with tapering end-walls
USA: Alabama and adjacent Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.
Upland woods, bluffs and hillsides along water-courses, stream bottoms
Azalea alabamense (Rehder) Small, Man. S.E. US Fl. 996 (1933). Type: Alabama, Cullman Co.: without definite locality, T. G. Harbison 6292 (holo. US).
Kron, K.A. (1993) A Revision of Rhododendron Section Pentanthera. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 50(3):284