Rhodo. Sikkim Himalaya t. 26 (1849)
Verified by:
Shrub 0.3-1 -5 m. Young growth lepidote. Leaves up to 50 mm, narrowly oblong or oblong-elliptic, laxly lepidote above particularly along the midrib and near the base, densely lepidote beneath with unequal scales, the surface of the leaf papillose. Inflorescences 1 (—2)-flowered. Calyx 2-3 mm, the tube lepidote, the lobes occasionally fringed with filiform-acicular hairs. Corolla 15-37 mm, tube 8-20 mm, the tube pubescent and sparsely lepidote outside, the lobes lepidote outside. Stamens 10, filaments pubescent near the base. Ovary densely lepidote, style lepidote and/or pilose towards the base. Capsule lepidote, 9-12.5 mm. ** * Rhododendron virgatum * var. * oleifoiium * ** ** * Rhododendron virgatum * var. * virgatum * ** Corolla 25-37 mm, the tube 11-20 mm, pale to deep pink or mauve
Cullen, J. (1980) A Revision of Rhododendron 1: Subgenus Rhododendron sections Rhododendron & Pogonanthum. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 39(1):130