Rhododendron leucogigas Sleumer

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New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Rhododendron leucogigas' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhododendron/rhododendron-leucogigas/). Accessed 2024-10-04.

Genus

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

Credits

New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Rhododendron leucogigas' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhododendron/rhododendron-leucogigas/). Accessed 2024-10-04.

Shrub 1–3 m, epiphytic; young twigs finely scaly, quickly glabrescent. Leaves 12–30 × 3.5–10.5 cm, elliptic or sub-obovate-elliptic, the apex broadly acute to obtuse, sub-acuminate or mucronate, the margin entire, flat or weakly revolute, the base rounded to cordate; the upper surface at first silvery scaly, quickly glabrescent, midrib raised in the lower half and often grooved, impressed in the upper part, lateral veins 7–12 pairs, finely impressed; lower surface with the midrib strongly raised for most of its length, lateral veins smooth and sometimes obscure, scales variable from flat silvery stellate incised to tall brown and dendroid but these not mounted on prominent epidermal tubercles. Flowers 5–8 per umbel, stiffly semi-erect to horizontal; calyx a low slightly scaly lobed ring; corolla deep pink to white, often with darker pink marks at the corners of the lobes, powerfully carnation-scented, tubular-funnel-shaped, with a straight tube, 13.5–16 × 12–15 cm, finely scaly outside on the tube; stamens 14, clustered on the lower side of the tube; ovary densely hairy and obscurely scaly, style hairy to about half way, scaly to within about 1cm of the stigma. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)

Distribution  Indonesia Irian Jaya (Cycloop Mts) Papua New Guinea Huntstein Mts

Habitat 1,200–1,400 m

RHS Hardiness Rating H2

Conservation status Data deficient (DD)

Introduced into cultivation by Professor Sleumer from the Cycloop Mts. and subsequently from Mt Huntstein from which was named ‘Hunsteins Secret’. It is a superb plant although of rather slow growth. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)