Description

Free-growing shrub, to 1-3 m. Young growth loriform-setose, the setae variably persistent. Leaves narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, tapered to the base and to the rather obtuse apex, 70-100 x 28-38 mm, upper surface dark brownish green, glabrous, elepidote, margin loriform-ciliate when young, glabrous later, lower surface light greyish green, papillose, with a lax covering of unequal, golden scales; petioles lepidote and loriform-setose. Inflorescence (l-)2-4-flowered, pedicels sparsely lepidote. Calyx conspicuous, 5-lobed, the lobes oblong, c. 7 mm, conspicuously and evenly loriform-ciliate, the surface sparsely lepidote. Corolla 60 mm, tube 32 mm, white faintly flushed pink, funnel-campanulate, glabrous and elepidote outside. Stamens 10, filaments pubescent towards the base. Ovary lepidote, tapering into the style which is elepidote except for a few scattered scales near the base. Capsule oblong-cylindric, lepidote, 12—16 mm.

Distribution

China. (W Yunnan)

Altitude

Habitat

Cliffs

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Cullen, J. (1980) A Revision of Rhododendron 1: Subgenus Rhododendron sections Rhododendron & Pogonanthum. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 39(1):53