Description

Shrub of 1 -3-5 m. Leaves elliptic to obovate, tapering to the somewhat rounded base, the apex very rounded, 100-160 x 45-75 mm, lower surface brownish with heteromorphic, subcontiguous scales, the smaller rimless, deeply sunk in pits, the larger with rims and less deeply sunk, all golden or brownish. Inflorescence 2-6-fIowered, pedicels 15-32 mm, accrescent and divaricate-reflexed in fruit, glabrous and elepidote or rarely slightly lepidote. Calyx very large, lobed from half to almost its total length, cuplike, reddish, lobes broadly elliptic, rounded at the apex, 22-30 x 14-20 mm, glabrous and elepidote, accrescent and becoming papery in fruit, whitish pruinose. Corolla white or cream, rarely flushed pinkish purple, funnel-campanulate, mouth very oblique, 65-95 mm from base to apex of the longest lobe, tube c. 50 mm, very sparsely lepidote outside. Stamens 10, filaments pubescent in the lower part. Ovary densely lepidote, tapering into the style, which is lepidote at the base. Capsule 20-25 x 12-15 mm, cylindric-globose, lepidote, shorter than to as long as the persistent calyx.

Distribution

India (Arunachal Pradesh), NE Burma, China (NW & W Yunnan, SE Xizang)

Altitude

Habitat

Forests, scrub, thickets, often near water

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):41