Rhododendron tomentosum

Description with 11 photos. Photo: Finn Bertelsen. A low, prostrate, evergreen shrub. Hardy. Young shoots tomentose and scaly, Hairs greyish, later brownish, crisped, scales dark and light coloured. Petiole scattered hairy and scaly, to 2 mm. Leaf blade linear, with revolute margins, coriaceous, aromatic, to 16 mm. Leaf apex acute-obtuse, without mucro. Leaf base rounded. Leaf adaxial side dark green, rugose, with scattered crisped hairs and tiny, light scales. Scales 1-5 x their diam. apart, 70-90 micrs. Leaf abaxial side grey green, scattered scaly, scales very tiny, 30 micrs., partly hidden by a rufous indumentum of crisped and tangled hairs. Inflorescence semi-globular, many-flowered. Corolla with 5 lobes, rotate, white. Native habitat: Northernmost part of North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia at 0-1800 m according to Flora of North America efloras org.