Description

Shrub, 0-3-5 m. Young growth usually deep reddish crimson. Leaves up to 2 x longer than broad, 22-42(-52) x 12-23(-27) mm, broadly to narrowly elliptic, base rounded to subcordate, rarely somewhat cuneate, usually lepidote above with dried-out scales, the undersurface with a dense covering of small, slightly unequal, brown, narrowly rimmed (dark centre making up more than Vi of the scale diameter) scales 1-2 x their own diameter apart; petiole and upper surface of midrib somewhat puberulent. Inflorescence few-flowered; pedicels straight, lepidote, 5—10(—11) mm, rarely slightly puberulent. Calyx disc-like or undulate, often ciliate with filiform-acicular or more rarely loriform hairs. Corolla (16-)17-21 mm, rose, whitish rose-pink or lavender, usually completely elepidote outside. Capsule (7-)8-12 mm.

Distribution

China (N & NW Yunnan, SW Sichuan)

Altitude

Habitat

Scrub and thickets and on forest margins, rarely in moist meadows or on stream sides, 2100-4250 m

Nomenclatural History

R. tapelouense Leveille, Bull. Geogr. Bot. 25:20 (1915). Type: China, Yunnan, mt Ta-pe-Iou, 3200 m, v 1912, Maire (holo. E). R. stereophyllum Balfour f. & W. W. Smith, Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 10:159 (1916). Type: China, Yunnan, mountains in the NE of the Yangtze bend, 10000 ft, Forrest 11299 (holo. E). R. hypophaeum Balfour f. & Forrest, Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 12:120 (1920). Type: China, SW Szechuan, mountains around Muli, 11000 ft, Forrest 16249 (holo. E). R. leilungense Balfour f. & Forrest, Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 13:273 (1922). Type: China, Yunnan, Lei-lung shan, 9000 ft, Forrest 15208 (holo. E). R. heishuense Fang, Acta Phytotax. Sinica2:83 (1933). Type: China, Szechuan, Hei-shou-ho, Mao-hsien, 2900 m, 22 vi-3 vii 1931, Lee 2253 & 2323 (holo. CHENGDU—n.v.)

Notes

References

Cullen, J. (1980) A Revision of Rhododendron 1: Subgenus Rhododendron sections Rhododendron & Pogonanthum. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 39(1):65