Description

Shrub up to 10 m, though often less. Young growth pilose or more rarely glabrous. Leaves narrowly elliptic to elliptic, more rarely very narrowly elliptic, acute to acuminate at the apex, cuneate at the base, usually evergreen, more rarely subdeciduous to deciduous, (4G-)50-100(~110) x 18~30(-40) mm, upper surface ± elepidote, glabrous or with fine filiform-acicular hairs along the midrib and/or the main veins, lower surface lepidote with distant golden or brown scales, the midrib with an indumentum of long, ± straight hairs, at least towards the base, this indumentum extending on to the petiole or not, petiole sometimes just puberulent. Inflorescences (2-)3(-5)-flowered, pedicels 8-22 mm, sparsely lepidote, sometimes puberulent. Calyx disc-like or obscurely lobed with lobes up to 3 mm, lepidote, often puberulent and variably ciliate. Corolla openly funnel-shaped, 28-40 mm, tube 11-16 mm, purple, lavender or almost blue, rarely white, with greenish or brownish spots inside, tube lepidote or sparsely pilose outside, pubescent within. Stamens 10, filaments pubescent towards the base. Ovary lepidote, variably pilose towards the apex. ** * Rhododendron augustinii * var. * augustinii * ** Leaves ± evergreen; corolla blue to purple with greenish or brownish spots. Petiole with filiform-acicular hairs only, or glabrous; corolla blue to lavender. Indumentum of leaf midrib beneath extending along the underside of the petiole; leaf upper surface with filiform-acicular hairs along most of the veins; corolla tube lepidote ** * Rhododendron augustinii * var. * chasmanthum * ** Leaves ± evergreen; corolla blue to purple with greenish or brownish spots. Petiole with filiform-acicular hairs only, or glabrous; corolla blue to lavender. Indumentum only on leaf midrib beneath, not or scarcely extending on to petiole; leaf upper surface glabrous or with filiform-acicular hairs along the midrib only; corolla tube elepidote, usually pilose outside. ** * Rhododendron augustinii * var. * hardyi * ** Leaves ± deciduous; corolla white with brownish spots ** * Rhododendron augustinii * var. * rubrum * ** Leaves ± evergreen; corolla blue to purple with greenish or brownish spots. Petiole with loriform as well as filiform-acicular hairs; corolla purple.

Distribution

Altitude

Habitat

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Cullen, J. (1980) A Revision of Rhododendron 1: Subgenus Rhododendron sections Rhododendron & Pogonanthum. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 39(1):72