Description

Small shrub to 0.6 m. Leaf-bud scales persistent. Leaves elliptic, 9-15 X 5-8 mm, tapered to the base, apex rounded with conspicuous mucro, dark green and elepidote above, lower surface brown or pale brown with densely overlapping scales arranged in 2-3 tiers, those of the lowermost tier golden, paler than the others. Inflorescence 5-12-flowered, pedicels lepidote, 5-7 mm. Calyx lobes oblong-obovate, obtuse, c. 3 mm, sparsely lepidote outside, the margins conspicuously loriform-ciliate, the inner surface puberulent. Corolla whitish to yellow, tube c. 8 mm, lobes c. 4 mm, the tube and bases of the lobes conspicuously lepidote outside and also somewhat puberulent with short, filiform-acicular hairs; mouth of the tube densely pilose inside. Stamens 5. Capsule sparsely lepidote, c. 4 mm

Distribution

China (C Sichuan)

Altitude

Habitat

Exposed rocks

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):163