Description

Much branched erect shrub to 1 -3 m. Leaves 8-16 x 2-5-5(-6)mm, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, apex obtuse, shortly or obscurely mucronate, base cuneate, undersurface yellowish brown to fawn, usually with deeper brown speckling, scales contiguous or almost so, golden to yellow-brown with few to many darker scales intermixed. Inflorescence (1-) 2-4(-5)-flowered, pedicels lepidote, l*5-2(-3) mm. Calyx 0-5-1-5 mm, lepidote at base, lobes rounded to deltoid, often unequal, sometimes with a few scales on the back, margin occasionally with a few scales and cilia. Corolla pale to deep lavender blue to purple or whitish pink, funnel-shaped, 7-13-5 mm, tube 2-4-5 mm, pubescent in the throat, lobes elepidote or sparsely lepidote outside. Stamens 8-10, shorter than to equalling the corolla. Ovary lepidote, style 3-5-5 or 15-16 mm long, glabrous or sparsely lepidote. Capsule ovoid, 5 mm, lepidote. ** * Rhododendron orthocladum * var. * longistylum * ** Corolla blue to purple. Style 15-16 mm. ** * Rhododendron orthocladum * var. * microleucum * ** Corolla white ** * Rhododendron orthocladum * var. * orthodadum * ** Corolla blue to purple. Style 3 -5-5 mm

Distribution

Altitude

Habitat

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):103