Description

Erect shrub or sparingly branched tree to 10m. Twigs rounded, reddish and sparingly scaly at the upper internodes, glabrescent and often greyish or often whitish below, 4–5mm in diameter; internodes 2–7cm. Leaves 5–9 together in loose pseudowhorls at the upper 1–2 nodes, often with small but well-formed reddish purple buds in the leaf axils. Blade 50–100 x 25–50mm, obovate-elliptic or elliptic; apex obtuse, rounded, or emarginate; margin entire and flat; base tapering, glabrescent above when mature, more persistently and laxly scaly beneath. Scales small, with the marginal zone irregularly lobed and the minute dark centre slightly impressed. Mid-vein broad, raised for up to 10mm above, slightly grooved for most of its length otherwise flat; slightly raised proximally below; lateral veins 8–10 per side, at an acute angle, rather high-ascending, anastomosing before the edge, smooth when fresh, slightly but distinctly impressed above and raised beneath when dry, as is the reticulation, dark green above, paler beneath. Petiole 6–18 x 2–3.5mm, red, weakly grooved above, persistently silvery scaly. Flower buds to 45 x 15mm, conical or narrowly ellipsoid, imbricate, glossy purplish-pink with pale areas, smooth, with the bract points appressed. Outer bracts ovate, inner ones ovate-oblong, obtuse, glabrous and shining outside, to 35 x 15mm. Bracteoles to 40 x 3mm, linear below, sub-spathulate at the apex, glabrous. Inflorescence an open umbel with 8–12, half-hanging flowers. Pedicels 25–32 x c.2mm, pale green, laxly and obscurely scaly, more densely scaly distally. Calyx oblique, a narrow rim or shortly obtusely 5-lobed, 3.5mm in diameter, scaly. Corolla 40–50 x 45–50mm, pure white, without scent; tube 25–30 x 6–8 x 12–15mm, very laxly scaly or glabrous outside, laxly patent hairy in the proximal ¾ of the tube inside, slightly sulcate near the base, cylindrical in the lowest ½–2⁄3 before expanding to the mouth; lobes 20–22 x 18–20mm, obovate, reflexed to a right angle, overlapping c.halfway. Stamens sub-equal, 25–30mm, clustered regularly around the mouth, exserted to c.3mm; filaments white, linear, laxly hairy in the lower 1⁄3, glabrous distally; anthers 3.5–4 x 1mm, pale brown, oblong, cell bases minutely apiculate. Disc prominent, hairy at the upper margin. Ovary sub-ovoid-cylindrical, densely silvery to yellowish-brown hairy, the hairs covering numerous, minute scales, 6–7 x 2.5mm, tapering distally; style sparsely hairy in its lower 1⁄6–1⁄3, as long as the stamens, lying on the lower side of the tube; stigma sub-globose. Fruit 30–35 x c.7mm, fusiform, slightly curved, warty, sub-densely hairy and scaly, with 5 deep longitudinal grooves. Seeds 4–5mm, without tails 0.7–0.9mm, the longest tail to 2mm.

Rhododendron mindanaense Merr.

Description

Distribution

Altitude

Habitat

Nomenclatural History

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References