Rhododendron campylogynum

Description with 21 photos. Photo: Finn Bertelsen. A low, spreading, evergreen shrub. Hardy. Young shoots scattered scaly. Scales short-stipitate. Petiole scaly, to 3 mm. Leaf blade obovate, coriaceous, aromatic, to 22 mm. Leaf apex rounded, with mucro. Leaf base tapering. Leaf adaxial side dark green, shiny, with scattered scales. Scales 1-3 x their diam. apart, 150-200 micrs. Leaf abaxial side grey green, glaucous, papillose, scaly with scales 1-3 x their diam. apart, 175-240 micrs. Inflorescence umbel-like, from terminal bud, with 1-5 flowers. Pedicel scaly with stipitate scales, to 5 cm. Calyx with 5 lobes. Lobes rounded, margins scaly. Corolla with 5 lobes, campanulate, scaly on the outher side, pubescent in the throat, dark purple, spotted. Ovary ovoid, densely scaly, with inserted style. Stamens 10. Filaments pubescent towards base, purple. Anthers fawn-coloured. Style sharply deflexed, glabrous, purple, with turbinate stigma. Stamens and style not exserted from corolla. Capsule ovoid, densely scaly, to 9 mm. Native habitat: C and W Yunnan, S Xizang (Tibet), China, NE India and Myanmar at 2700-5100 m according to Flora of China efloras org. Remarks: The above described specimen is in general too scaly compared with the species norm and is regarded as a cultivar.