Rhododendron zoelleri Warb.

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Peter Norris, enabling the use of The Rhododendron Handbook 1998

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New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Rhododendron zoelleri' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhododendron/rhododendron-zoelleri/). Accessed 2024-03-19.

Genus

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

Credits

New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Rhododendron zoelleri' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhododendron/rhododendron-zoelleri/). Accessed 2024-03-19.

Shrub or tree up to 10 m, terrestrial; young stems finely scaly at first. Leaves 7–17 × 3–9 cm, elliptic, broadly elliptic to sub-obovate, the apex shortly acuminate, broadly acute or obtuse, the margin flat and entire, the base broadly tapering, sometimes rather unequal; the upper surface at first with pale brown scales, these becoming silvery and soon disappearing, the midrib slightly raised in the basal half, distinctly grooved to over half way, the lateral veins 9–14 pairs very slightly raised; lower surface with the midrib strongly raised for most of its length, the laterals very slightly raised, scales rather sparse, pale brown, lobed and with small darker centres. Flowers 4–8 per umbel, semi-erect to half hanging; calyx a low scaly and hairy disc; corolla orange to pink with a yellow throat, sometimes scented, funnel-shaped, 4–10 × 5–6 cm, sometimes with a few hairs at the base and generally laxly scaly outside; stamens 10, rather irregularly scattered usually on the lower side of the mouth; ovary hairy and obscurely scaly, the style hairy and often scaly as well for about 3/4 of its length, glabrous at the top. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)

Distribution  Indonesia Throughout Papua and west to the Moluccas (W Seram) Papua New Guinea

Habitat almost from s.l.-2,000 m

RHS Hardiness Rating H1c

Awards AM 1973 (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) to a clone 'Decimus'; flowers Orange-Red Group 31B at tip, Yellow-Orange Group 21A at base.

Conservation status Least concern (LC)

This widespread species is one of the boldest of the Vireyas with its flamboyant orange and yellow flowers. It is the parent of many hybrids both cultivated and in the wild. It is most likely to be confused with R. laetum or R. baenitzianwn and may be distinguished as noted under those species. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)