Rhododendron degronianum

Rhododendron degronianum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Rhododendron
Species:	R. degronianum
Binomial name
Rhododendron degronianum Carrière
Subspecies
See text.
Synonyms
Azalea degroniana (Carrière) Makino Rhododendron metternichii Siebold & Zucc.

Rhododendron degronianum is a rhododendron species native to northern parts of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, where it grows at altitudes of about 1,800 meters (5,900 ft). It is a shrub that grows to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) in height, with leaves that are narrowly to broadly elliptic, or linear lanceolate. Its flowers are funnel-shaped and pink to white.

Subspecies

Rhododendron degronianum has three subspecies:

• Rhododendron degronianum subsp. degronianum – leaves with fawn to reddish indumentum^[1]
• Rhododendron degronianum subsp. heptamerum ^[2]
• Rhododendron degronianum subsp. yakushimanum – flowers pink fading to white, leaves with white indumentum on top, white to tan indumentum on bottom^[3]

All subspecies of R. degronianum have indumentum on the underside of their leaves, here seen on a plant growing in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

References

1. "More Information: Rhododendron degronianum ssp. degronianum". American Rhododendron Society.
2. "More Information: Rhododendron degronianum ssp. heptamerum". American Rhododendron Society.
3. "More Information: Rhododendron degronianum ssp. yakushimanum". American Rhododendron Society.

• "Rhododendron degronianum", Rev. Hort. 1869: 368 1869.

External links

• The Plant List
• Hirsutum.com