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New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.
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'Rhododendron lepidotum' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
Small shrub, to 2 m; young shoots densely scaly. Leaves semi-persistent or persistent, thick, 0.6–2.5(–3) × 0.3–1.2(–1.6) cm, narrowly elliptic to obovate, margin not ciliate, lower surface with distant to overlapping large brownish scales with translucent rims. Flowers 1–2, in a loose terminal inflorescence; calyx lobes 2–4 mm; flowers white, yellow or pink to purple, often with darker spots, campanulate, 10–17 mm; stamens 10; ovary scaly, style very short, deflexed. Flowering April-May. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)
Distribution Bhutan Myanmar N China S Tibet, NW Yunnan India Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh Nepal
Habitat 2,450–4,550 m
RHS Hardiness Rating H5
Conservation status Least concern (LC)
A widespread and variable species, especially in respect to flower colour and leaf shape. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)