Description

Shrubs or small trees up to 10 m, or more in cultivation. Young growth lepidote, purplish. Leaves narrowly elliptic to elliptic or almost lanceolate, (40-)60-l 15 x (12-)20-45 mm,” cuneate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, glabrous and ± elepidote above, very densely lepidote with overlapping or contiguous unequal scales beneath (the larger scales usually darker than the smaller, distributed all over the surface or restricted to the area adjacent to the midrib only), the surface pale or dark brown due to the density of the scales. Inflorescence up to 10-flowered, pedicels lepidote. Calyx very small, usually rim-like, sometimes undulate, sparsely lepidote, glabrous. Corolla openly funnel-shaped, (15-)20-30(-38) mm, tube (ll-)15-20(-23) mm, pink, mauve-pink, or rarely white flushed pink, glabrous but lepidote outside, pilose within the tube. Stamens 10, filaments sparsely pubescent towards the base. Ovary densely lepidote. Style glabrous, longer than the longest stamens at anthesis, declinate. Capsule lepidote, cylindric, 11-16 mm.

Distribution

China (N, NW, W & C Yunnan, SW Sichuan, SE Xizang), NE Burma

Altitude

Habitat

Thickets and open forest

Nomenclatural History

R. leclerei Leveilie, Feddes Rep. 12:284 (1913). Type: China, Yunnan, haut plateau de Ta-hai-tse, 3200 m, v 1912, Maire (holo. E). R. catapastum Balfour f. & Forrest, Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 13:36 (1920). Type: China, W Yunnan, Yung peh mountains, vii 1918, Forrest 16597 (holo. E). R. desquamatum Balfour f. & Forrest, op. cit.: 40. Type: China, W Yunnan, Shweli/Salween Divide, Jang-tzow-shan, v 1919, Forrest 15761 (holo. E). R. stenoplastum Balfour f. & Forrest, op. cit.: 60. Type: China, W Yunnan, Shweli/Salween Divide, v 1919, Forrest 17920 (holo. E). R. leprosum Balfour f., nom. nud. R. squarrosum Balfour f., nom. nud.

Notes

References

Cullen, J. (1980) A Revision of Rhododendron 1: Subgenus Rhododendron sections Rhododendron & Pogonanthum. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 39(1):90