Description

Shrub l-3m; young shoots covered with adpressed flattened reddish-grey hairs. Leaves dimorphic, coriaceous; spring leaves elliptic, 2-9.5 x l-4cm, 2-2.5 x as long as broad, apex acute, mucronulate, base cuneate, margin entire, upper surface + glabrescent, lower surface with scattered adpressed rufous hairs; summer leaves obovate, 10-40 x 5-20mm, otherwise as for spring leaves; petioles 2~4mm, densely covered with reddish strigose hairs. Inflorescence 7-12-flowered; pedicels 4-6mm, densely strigose. Calyx minute, covered with shining red-brown hairs, lobes inconspicuous. Corolla tubular-campanulate, lilac-pink, apparently without flecks, c.20mm, lobes spreading; tube c.lOmm, c.3mm wide at base, c.4mm wide below lobes, glabrous. Stamens 5, filaments glabrous. Ovary densely covered with shining rufous-brown hairs; style glabrous. Capsule ovoid, 6-8 x c.2mm, densely strigose. ** * Rhododendron mariae * var. * kwangsiense * ** Leaves 4-5.5 x 1.5-1.8cm; corolla tube c.2mm at base ** * Rhododendron mariae * var. * mariae * ** Leaves (4.5-)6-8 x 2-3.7cm; corolla tube c.1mm at base

Distribution

China (Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan)

Altitude

Habitat

Open scrub, stream-sides, to 300m (1450m in subsp. kwangsiense)

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Chamberlain, D.F. & Rae, S.J. (1990) A Revision of Rhododendron IV Subgenus Tsutsusi. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 47(2):105