Description

Upright shrub, usually dwarf, 0.3-2m; young shoots covered with adpressed flattened brown hairs. Leaves monomorphic, chartaceous, elliptic to lanceolate, 1-4 x 0.5-1.5cm, 2-2.6 x as long as broad, apex obtuse to acute, mucronulate, base cuneate, margin entire, both surfaces with adpressed red-brown hairs, the lower surface paler, with a denser indumentum; petioles l-4mm, covered with brown strigose hairs. Inflorescence 3-6-flowered, with smaller axillary inflorescences below the terminal ones; pedicels 3-7mm, covered with shining chestnut-brown hairs. Calyx densely covered with brown strigose hairs; lobes lanceolate, l-2mm. Corolla funnel-cam-panulate, usually purple-rose, occasionally white flushed pink, with crimson flecks, 10-15(-22)mm; tube 6-8mm, 2-3mm wide at base, glabrous on outer surface, pubescent within. Stamens 5, longer than corolla, filaments sparsely pilose below middle. Ovary densely covered with shining chestnut-brown hairs; style glabrous. Capsule c.8 x 4mm, densely strigose.

Distribution

E Burma, China (Yunnan, SW Sichuan), Thailand?

Altitude

Habitat

Open scrub

Nomenclatural History

R. microphyton Franchet var. trichanthum A.L. Zhang, Acta Bot. Yunnanica 4: 249 (1982). Type: China: Yunnan, Bijiang, 28 vi 1979, AM Zhang 79-2093 (holo, KUN, n.v.)

Notes

References

Chamberlain, D.F. & Rae, S.J. (1990) A Revision of Rhododendron IV Subgenus Tsutsusi. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 47(2):43