Description

Compact densely branched shrub, l-2m; young shoots clothed with adpressed flattened strigose hairs, glabrescent in second year. Leaves dimorphic, ± deciduous, chartaceous; spring leaves elliptic-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3-8 x 1-2.5cm, 2-3 x as long as broad, apex acute and mucronate, base cuneate, margin entire, ciliate, both surfaces with scattered adpressed shining brown strigose hairs, lower surface paler than upper; summer leaves thicker, upper surface soon glabrescent, otherwise as for spring leaves; petioles 3-6mm, covered with loosely adpressed strigose hairs. Inflorescence 2-3-flowered, flowers opening with or shortly before the leaves; pedicels 5-10mm, covered with loosely adpressed strigose hairs. Calyx green, covered with adpressed strigose hairs, lobes ovate, acute or obtuse, 5-8mm. Corolla broadly funnel-shaped, 35-40mm, 50mm across, rose to pale lilac-purple (sometimes double in cultivated varieties), with flecks, fragrant, lobes c.25mm; tube glabrous. Stamens 10, subequal, shorter than corolla, filaments papillose below middle. Ovary densely covered with adpressed hairs; style glabrous or pilose towards base. Capsule ovoid, 5-8mm, densely strigose, with persistent calyx. ** * Rhododendron yedoense * var. * var. * ** Flowers single; calyx 5-8mm (native) ** * Rhododendron yedoense * var. * var. * ** Flowers double; calyx to 15mm (cultivated)

Distribution

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Habitat

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Chamberlain, D.F. & Rae, S.J. (1990) A Revision of Rhododendron IV Subgenus Tsutsusi. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 47(2):114