Description

Shrub or small tree to 10m, often with long unbranched stems. Twigs 5–10mm in diameter, green but covered in pale brown lobed scales, round; internodes 4–100cm. Leaves evenly spirally arranged along the stems, rarely in pseudowhorls of 4–6 leaves. Blade 100–200 x 45–100mm, broadly elliptic to elliptic, sub-obovate or broadly ovate; apex obtuse, to rounded; margin entire, flat, often slightly irregularly wavy; base broadly rounded to cordate; initially very densely scaly on both sides, glabrescent above, more persistently scaly below. Scales stellate, irregularly lobed with broad flanges and small centres, not or shallowly impressed. Mid-vein broad, raised in the proximal ½ on the upper side of the leaf, not raised below; lateral veins 9–15 per side, broadly spreading, with distinct reticulation which is smooth above and below. Petiole 5–22 x 4–8mm, ungrooved and rounded on the upper side, distinctly flattened below, scaly, green sometimes flushed with red. Flower buds to 60 x 40mm, smooth with the bracts appressed, ovoid-conical, pale green. Outer bracts ovate, obtuse, often splitting to become emarginate, inner ones ovate, shortly acuminate, innermost ones obovate, obtuse, all membranous, glabrous and shiny outside. Bracteoles 30 x 2mm, linear below, sub-spathulate distally. Inflorescence a full umbel, 8–15-flowered, flowers erect to horizontal. Pedicels 20–50 x 2–4mm, laxly sub-stellately scaly, without hairs, yellow or flushed with red or orange. Calyx 5–6mm in diameter, a low wavy ring or obscurely 5-lobed, sub-glabrous. Corolla 60–110 x 70–80mm, funnel-shaped (wax-like when fresh), yellow or orange, sometimes flushed with orange or pink, scentless or delicately scented, glabrous outside; tube 30–35 x 6–8 x 12–15mm, straight; lobes 35–56 x 40–50mm, spreading to slightly reflexed, broadly obovate, sometimes retuse, overlapping 1⁄3–½. Stamens usually all on the lower side of the flower, somewhat irregular, exserted to c.15mm; filaments linear, long hairy in the proximal 1⁄3, sub-filiform and glabrous above; anthers c.6 x 2mm, cream, curved, with the pores turned upwards and with minute basal appendages. Disc thick, very prominent, glabrous or shortly hairy on the upper margin. Ovary 12 x 5.5mm, columnar, but tapering more gradually proximally than distally, covered with white hairs and densely scaly, although most scales are hidden by hairs; style 20–25mm, thick, glabrous, or with some hairs at the base; stigma 3–8mm in diameter, obtusely lobed. Fruit 30–80 x 8–12mm, fusiform, shortly hairy to glabrescent, with scattered, minute, elliptic-oblong, lenticel-like warts. Seeds 5–6mm, without tails c.1mm, the longest tail c.2.2mm.

Rhododendron lowii Hook.f.

Description

Distribution

Altitude

Habitat

Nomenclatural History

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References