Rhododendron himantodes Sleumer

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New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Rhododendron himantodes' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhododendron/rhododendron-himantodes/). Accessed 2024-03-18.

Genus

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

section
(sect.) Subdivision of a genus.

Credits

New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Rhododendron himantodes' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhododendron/rhododendron-himantodes/). Accessed 2024-03-18.

Shrub up to 2 m, usually epiphytic but also terrestrial on deep peat of some summit ridges; young stems densely brown-scaly. Leaves 2–9 × 0.3–0.6 cm, linear, acute or sometimes rounded at the apex, margin entire, somewhat irregular and slightly reflexed, the base wedge-shaped; upper surface silvery scaly becoming glabrous, with an impressed midrib but no visible lateral veins; lower surface with the midrib raised throughout its length, completely covered in variably sized brown scales, the largest with dark brown swollen centres. Flowers 8–15 per umbel, horizontal or semi-erect; calyx a low rounded, scaly disc; corolla white but with a prominent and attractive pattern of brown scales outside on the tube and lobes, saucer-shaped 1.1.4 × 2.-2.7 cm; ovary densely brown-scaly, style glabrous or scaly near the base. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)

Distribution  BruneiMalaysia Borneo, Sabah, Sarawak and Kalimantan (Mt Kemul)

Habitat 1,300–2,000 m

RHS Hardiness Rating H2

Conservation status Least concern (LC)

One of the most attractive species in this section. When in flower it rarely escapes comment even from non rhododendron lovers. Its densely scaly, strap-shaped leaves and dainty, short, white flowers will not allow confusion with any other species. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)