Description

Shrub to 8 m, minutely puberulous on the young branches, petioles and upper mid-ribs. Leaves narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, rounded or cuneatc at the base, tapering to a sub-acute or emarginatc apex, mucronate, 35-120 x 17-36 mm, slightly coriaceous, reticulation of veins evident; petiole 10-15 mm long. Inflorescence buds lateral, 1-flowered, clustered near the ends of the leafy shoots; outer bud scales short, inner elongate (c. 12-14 mm long); pedicel c. 15-25 mm long, puberulous and with glandular hairs. Calyx lobes usually oblong, obtuse, or ovate (3-5-)6-8 x (2-5-)3-4mm, variously fringed with fine hairs and/or glandular hairs or almost glabrous. Corolla rose to magenta purple with darker markings, glabrous or the tube minutely puberulous on the outside and/or within, rotate with a short tube and spreading lobes, up to c.50mm across. Stamens 5, filaments hairy below. Ovary subglobose, c.2 ï 5 mm high, with setose and glandular hairs, 5-locuIar; style glabrous. Capsule broadly ovoid, 6-8 x 5-6 mm, verrucose.

Distribution

China (NW Yunnan, adjacent parts of Sichuan and Xizang), NE Upper Burma.

Altitude

Habitat

In open scrubland and in deciduous and pine forests

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Philipson, W.R. & Philipson, M.N. (1986) A Revision of Rhododendron III. Subgenera Azaleastrum, Mumeazalea, Candidastrum and Therorhodion. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 44(1):5