Description

Shrub to 3 m, minutely puberulous on the young branches, petioles and upper mid-ribs. Leaves elliptic or obovate, 40-70 x 15-30 mm, base broadly cuneate, apex obtuse or emarginate, mucronate; petiole 7-15 mm long. Inflorescence buds lateral, 1-flowered, clustered near the ends of leafy shoots; outer bud scales short, rounded, inner elongate (to 12 mm long); pedicel only slightly longer than the inner bud scales, with many glandular hairs. Calyx lobes oblong, up to 8 x 4mm, apex rounded, densely bristly at the base, margin fringed with glandular hairs. Corolla crimson, glabrous; tube gradually widening, c.l5mm long; lobes rotund, c.lOmm long. Stamens 5, about equalling the corolla, filaments stout, slightly hairy on the lower half. Ovary subglobose, c.3 mm high, with glandular hairs, 5-locular; style exserted, glabrous. Capsule unknown.

Distribution

China (S Yunnan), N Laos, Vietnam (Northern).

Altitude

Habitat

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Philipson, W.R. & Philipson, M.N. (1986) A Revision of Rhododendron III. Subgenera Azaleastrum, Mumeazalea, Candidastrum and Therorhodion. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 44(1):6