Rhododendron flavantherum

Description with 21 photos. Photo: Finn Bertelsen. A low (<1m), erect, evergreen shrub. Apparently tender to frost. Young shoots covered by dark scales. Petiole covered by mixed dark/light scales, to 12 mm. Leafblade elliptic, shiny, aromatic, to 26 x 50 mm. Leaf apex rounded to acute-obtuse, with mucro. Leaf base rounded cuneate. Leaf adaxial side dark green, with scattered light scales, 200-300 micrs. Leaf abaxial side grey green, with scattered, dissimilar, brownish scales, 180 – 420 micrs. (young leaf), 170 – 480 micrs. (older leaf), 1-3 x their diam. apart. Inflorescense with 1-2 flowers, from terminal buds. Pedicel 5 mm, scaly. Calyx with 5 lingulate, densely lepidote, distinct ciliate lobes, c. 3 mm. Corolla with 5 lobes, tubular-campanulate, with external scales, internally glabrous with nectary pouches, canary yellow, c. 20 mm long. Corolla lobes ovate. Ovary 3-4 mm, ovate, lepidote. Stamens 10, proximally pubescent with strap-like hairs. Style yellowish, with some basal scales otherwise glabrous, straight, extending far from corolla, c. 25 mm, with swollen, bullate stigma. Capsule ovoid, lepidote. Seeds not described – so far. Locality of origin: Dulong, Gongshan County, NW Yunnan, China at 3100 m. Native habitat: Xizang, China at 2500-2800 m according to Flora of China. Remarks: flowering in September to October (cold house). Differs from Rh. monanthum by having ciliate young leaves and (larger) calyx lobes, and more scattered abaxial leaf scales.