Hort. Brit. ed. 2, 343 (1830), non Azalea lutea L., Sp. PL ed. 1,1:
150 (1753); based on Azalea ponticaL. (1753), q.v.
WFO ID: wfo-0000399990
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332817-1
Verified by:
Shrub or small tree to 2m tall, usually non-rhizomatous; young twigs red-brown, rarely yellow-brown, densely covered with unicellular hairs and multicellular gland-tipped hairs, rarely also with multicellular eglandular hairs, or with only multicellular gland-tipped and eglandular hairs. Vegetative bud scales glabrous, rarely sparsely covered with unicellular hairs abaxially; margin glandular ciliate. Leaf blade membranaceous, ovate or obovate to elliptic, (6.4-)7.6-12.0(-14.6) x (1.6-)2.1-3.4(-4.2)cm; base acute to oblique; apex acute to obtuse, often mucronate; adaxial surface sparsely to densely covered with multicellular gland-tipped hairs, or rarely with multicellular eglandular hairs, the midvein densely covered with unicellular hairs; abaxial surface glabrous, occasionally glaucous, the veins raised and prominent beneath, rarely sparsely to densely covered with unicellular hairs, or with multicellular gland-tipped and eglandular hairs, or all three types of hairs, the midvein sparsely to densely covered with unicellular and multicellular gland-tipped hairs, rarely lacking the unicellular hairs; margin entire, ciliate with multicellular eglandular hairs above and gland-tipped hairs below; petiole 0.3-0.6(-0.8)cm long, densely covered with unicellular hairs and multicellular gland-tipped hairs, rarely with multicellular eglandular and glandular hairs. Flower bud scales chestnut brown; abaxial surface glabrous, occasionally sparsely to densely covered with unicellular hairs; margin glandular. Flowers appearing before or with the leaves; inflorescence a shortened raceme of 9 to 17 flowers. Pedicels (0.8-)0.9-1.8(-2.4)cm long, densely covered with multicellular gland-tipped hairs, occasionally with unicellular hairs and multicellular gland-tipped hairs. Sepals less than 0.1-0.4(-0.7)cm long, varying in length on the same flower; margins glandular-fimbriate; abaxial surface sparsely covered with multicellular gland-tipped hairs, occasionally with unicellular hairs, rarely glabrous. Corolla yellow with a darker yellow blotch on the upper corolla lobe, fragrance sweet, the tube longer than the limb and gradually expanding into it; upper corolla lobe (1.3-)1.4-2.0(-2.4) x (0.8-)0.9-1.5(-2.0)cm wide; lateral lobes (1.3-)1.6-2.2(-2.5) x (0.5-)0.7-l.l(-1.2)cm; corolla tube (1.2-)1.3-2.0(-2.4)cm long, 0.2-0.4(-0.5)cm wide at base; outer surface of corolla sparsely to densely covered with multicellular gland-tipped hairs, or also with unicellular hairs, the gland-tipped hairs continuing up the corolla lobes; inner surface of corolla glabrous, rarely sparsely covered with unicellular hairs. Stamens (3.2-)3.4-4.4(-5.0)cm long, with dense terete or flattened unicellular hairs on proximal (1.6-)1.7-2.3(-2.5)cm of filament, exserted (1.4-)1.8-2.7(-3.0)cm beyond throat of corolla. Style (3.5-)3.7-5.0(-5.4)cm long, exserted (2.2-)2.4-3.8(-4.2)cm beyond throat of corolla, with dense unicellular hairs on proximal 0.2-0.6(-l .0)cm of style; stigma 0. l-0.2cm wide. Ovary (0.2-)0.3-0.4cm long, (0. l-)0.2-0.3cm wide at the base, sparsely covered with multicellular hairs, often with flattened or terete unicellular hairs in a tuft at the apex. Capsules (1.3-)1.5-2.1(-2.2) x 0.4-0.7(-0.8)cm, broadly ovate, sparsely covered with unicellular hairs and sparsely to moderately covered with multicellular gland-tipped hairs. Seeds pale to dark chestnut brown, ovate or effiptic to fusiform, (2.4-)2.8-3.8(-4.8) x (0.5-)0.7-l .2(-l .5)mm, body (1.1-) 1.3-1.8(-2.0) x (0.3-)0.4-0.6(-0.7)mm; testa expanded and dorsiventrally flattened, surrounding the body, the cells elongate, with tapered end-walls
Caucasus: Former Soviet Union, Turkey, and isolated populations in Poland and former Yugoslavia.
Open wooded slopes, along streams and in swampy areas, shores of the Black Sea
AzaleaponticaL.,Sp.Pl.ed. 1,1:150 (n53).Anthodendronponticum(L.)Rchb. in Mossier, Handb. Gewachsk. 1: 309 (1827). Rhododendron ponticum (L.) Schreb. ex DC, Prodr. 7: 718 (1839), non L., Sp. PI. ed. 1,1: 154 (1753). Type: Elus. in Buxbaum, Plant. Minus Cogni. Cent. 5: 36, fig. 69 (1740). RhododendronflavumG. Don, Gen. Syst. 3: 847 (1834), nom. illeg.; based on Azaleapontica L. (1753) [ = R. luteum Sweet (1830)]. Azalea flava Hoffmanzegg, Verz. Pflanzenkult. Nachtr. 2: 62 (1826). Type: n.v. Azalea pontica L. var. autumnalis C Koch, Linnaea 17: 281 (1843). Type: n.v. Rhododendron flavum G. Don var. macranthum Bean, Trees and Shrubs Brit. Isles 2: 357 (1914). R. luteum Sweet var. macranthum Wilson, Monogr. Azaleas 105 (1921). Type: n.v.
Kron, K.A. (1993) A Revision of Rhododendron Section Pentanthera. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 50(3):314