Rhododendron uvariifolium var. uvariifolium FB16-2018

Description with 19 photos. Photo: Finn Bertelsen. Evergreen, upright growing shrub or small tree. Young shoots grey-white tomentose. Petiole grey-white tomentose, later glabrous and crimson, to 20 mm. Upper, free end of leaf bud scales densely fringed by white, later golden dendroid hairs. Leaf blade oblanceolate to obovate, to 25 cm. Apex acute or acute-obtuse, with mucro. Leaf base acute or cuneate. Adaxial side with scattered hair remains, later glabrous, with depressed veins, green. Abaxial side with raised veins, with bi-strate, silver-grey indumentum. Upper layer thin, made of ramiform hairs, probably disintegrating in time. Lower layer, compact, matted, white, not covering the veins. Flower bud globular, with scales as the leaf bud. Flowers unknown. Pedicel glabrous or scattered tomentose, 20-22 mm. Calyx with 5 lobes, rounded triangular, c. 1.5 mm. Ovary channelled, with 6 (7) loculi, c. 8 mm. Capsule slim, cylindrical, commonly curved, channelled, puberulent or glabrous, 25-40 x 3-4 mm. Seeds with well-developed floating sacs, with wings, 1.9-3.9 mm. Locality of origin FB16-2018: Ninglang County, Yunnan, China at 3450 m. Native habitat: China, SW Sichuan, NW Yunnan, SE Xizang at 2100-4000m according to Flora of China.