Rhododendron trichanthum

Description with 25 photos. Photo: Finn Bertelsen. An upright growing, evergreen shrub. Hardy. Young shoots green, whitish setose, with bronze leaves. Petiole scattered scaly, setose, to 10 mm. Leaf blade oblong lancet, lancet or elleiptic, coriaceous, to 9 cm. Leaf apex acute with distinct mucro. Leaf base obtuse. Leaf adaxial side dark green, shiny, scattered scaly and setose. Scales 3-9 x their diam. apart, 170-180 micrs. Leaf margin setose. Leaf abaxial side light grey green, scaly and with puberulent midrib. Scales 2-4 x their diam. apart, light and dark coloured, 200-220 micrs. Flower bud terminal, pointed ovoid, red brown, with ciliolate, scaly cover scales. Inflorescence a short raceme with (3)-5 flowers. Pedicel scaly, setose, to 16 mm. calyx, c. 1.5 mm with rounded, scaly, setose and ciliate lobes. Setae 2-3.5 mm. Corolla with 5 lobes, widely funnel-shaped, zygomorphic, outside scaly, with puberulent tube, red purple, uppermost lobe spotted gren, 55-60 mm wide, 15 mm deep (long). Ovary oblong conical, densely scaly and at apex setose, with 5 loculi, 4.5-5 mm. Stamens 10, unequal in length, 21-35 mm. Filaments puberous towards base. Anthers pale brown, 2.4-3.0 mm. Style glabrous, slender, greenish, to 40 mm, with upwards bent, turbinate, bullate, blackish brown stigma, 1.6 mm. Capsule densely scaly and hairy. Locality of origin: Baoxing County, Sichuan at ?2900 m. Native habitat: W. Sichuan, China at 1600-3700 m according to Flora of China efloras org.