Description

Small, intricately branched shrub, 0.3-1(-1.5) m, often forming ± globose bushes. Leaf-bud scales usually deciduous, rarely a few persisting but not conspicuous. Leaves linear, oblong or oblanceolate, 12-30 X 3-5(-6) mm, 4 or more x longer than broad, usually strongly revolute, tapered to the base, ± rounded to the slightly mucronate or emarginate apex, upper surface green, lepidote or not, lower surface usually pale brown with dense, overlapping scales borne in 2-3 tiers, very rarely somewhat plastered, scales of the lowermost tier golden, paler than the others. Inflorescence many-flowered, ± globose, pedicels short, usually lepidote, occasionally puberulent as well, rarely glabrous and elepidote. Calyx lobes oblong or narrowly triangular, 1-2.5 mm, usually lepidote outside, loriform-ciliate on the margins, variably puberulent inside. Corolla white or pink, tube 4-5-8(-10) mm, lobes 1.5-3-5(-5) mm, tube glabrous outside, lobes generally with a few scales on the backs, mouth of the tube variably pilose inside. Stamens 5(-6). Ovary lepidote. Capsule lepidote, 2-4 mm. CHINA (N & NW Yunnan, SW & C Sichuan). Open slopes and in scrub or forest and thicket margins, 3400-4600 m.

Distribution

Altitude

Habitat

Nomenclatural History

R. fragrans sensu Franchet, Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 34:284 (1887) non (Adams) Maximowicz. R. ledoides Balfour f. & W. W. Smith, Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 9:243 (1916). Type: China, Yunnan, mountains in the NE of the Yangtze bend, 13000 ft, ix 1913, Forrest 11246 (holo. E). R. radinum Balfour f. & W. W. Smith, op. cit.: 268. Type: China, Yunnan, Lichiang range, 11-12000 ft, vi 1913, Forrest 10278 (holo. E). R. sphaeranthum Balfour f. & W. W. Smith, op. cit.: 278. Type: China, Yunnan, mountains of the Fengkow valley, 12-13000 ft, vi 1914, Forrest 12505 (holo. E). R. trichostomum var. ledoides (Balfour f. & W. W. Smith) Cowan & Davidian, Rhodo. Yearbook 2:84 (1947). R. trichostomum var. radinum (Balfour f. & W. W. Smith) Cowan & Davidian, loc. cit.

Notes

References

Cullen, J. (1980) A Revision of Rhododendron 1: Subgenus Rhododendron sections Rhododendron & Pogonanthum. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 39(1):168