Rhododendron is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan region, but smaller numbers occur elsewhere in Asia, and in North America, Europe and Australia.
The Qinling or Qin Mountains, formerly known as the Nanshan, are a major east–west mountain range in southern Shaanxi Province, China. The mountains mark the divide between the drainage basins of the Yangtze and Yellow River systems, providing a natural boundary between North and South China and support a huge variety of plant and wildlife, some of which is found nowhere else on earth.
Rhododendron canadense, the rhodora or Canada rosebay, is a deciduous flowering shrub that is native to northeastern North America.
Rhododendron ponticum, called common rhododendron or pontic rhododendron, is a species of flowering plant in the Rhododendron genus of the heath family Ericaceae. It is native to the Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe and the Caucasus region in northern West Asia.
Rhododendron catawbiense, with common names Catawba rosebay, Catawba rhododendron, mountain rosebay, purple ivy, purple laurel, purple rhododendron, red laurel, rosebay, rosebay laurel, is a species of Rhododendron native to the eastern United States, growing mainly in the southern Appalachian Mountains from Virginia south to northern Alabama.
Rhododendron maximum is a species of Rhododendron native to the Appalachians of eastern North America, from Alabama north to coastal Nova Scotia. Its common names include great laurel, great rhododendron, rosebay rhododendron, American rhododendron and big rhododendron.
Epilobium glaberrimum is a species of willowherb known by the common name glaucous willowherb. This clumping perennial wildflower is native to western North America from central Canada to northern Mexico. It generally grows at some elevation in moist places. This plant is somewhat variable in appearance. It may exceed half a meter in height and has hairless foliage with leaves between one and 8 centimeters long. The flower has four notched petals in purple, pink, or white which may be only a couple of millimeters long to over a centimeter long each. The fruit is a narrow, sticklike capsule 2 to 7 centimeters long.
Rhododendron rigidum (基毛杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to Sichuan and Yunnan, China, where it grows at altitudes of 2,000–3,400 m (6,600–11,200 ft). Growing to 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) in height, it is an evergreen shrub with leaves that are elliptic, oblong elliptic, oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, 2.5–6.8 by 1–3.2 cm in size. The flowers are white to reddish purple.
Rhododendron siderophyllum is a rhododendron species native to Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan, China, where it grows at altitudes of 1,800–3,000 m (5,900–9,800 ft). It is a shrub that grows to 1–4 m (3–13 ft) in height, with leaves that are elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 3–7 cm (1.2–2.8 in) long by 1.2–3.5 cm (0.5–1.4 in) wide. Flowers range from white to pink to pale purple or red. It is placed in section Rhododendron.
Rhododendron yunnanense (云南杜鹃) is a species of rhododendron native to Myanmar and Guizhou, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan, China, where it grows at altitudes of 2200–3600 meters. It is a shrub that grows to 1–2 m in height, with leaves that are oblong, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or obovate, 2.5–7 by 0.8–3m in size. Flowers are white, pale red, or pale purple.
Rhododendron traillianum (川滇杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to southwest Sichuan, southeast Xizang, and northwest Yunnan, China, where it grows at altitudes of 3,000–4,300 m (9,800–14,100 ft). It is an evergreen shrub or small tree that grows to 2–8 m (6.6–26.2 ft) in height, with leaves that are oblong-lanceolate to elliptic, 5–12 by 2.5–5 cm in size. The flowers are white or pink, with crimson spots and purple-red basal flecks.
Rhododendron heliolepis (亮鳞杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to Myanmar, and Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan in China, where it grows at altitudes of 3,000–3,700 m (9,800–12,100 ft). It is an evergreen shrub that grows to 2–5 m (6.6–16.4 ft) in height, with leaves that are elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 5–12 by 1.7–4 cm in size. The flowers are pink, pale purple-red, or rarely white, with purple or brown spots inside.
Rhododendron impeditum (粉紫杜鹃), the dwarf purple rhododendron, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to southwestern Sichuan and northwest Yunnan in China, where it grows at altitudes of 2,500–4,600 m (8,200–15,100 ft). This compact evergreen shrub grows to 60 cm (24 in) tall and broad. The leaves are ovate, elliptic or broadly elliptic to oblong, 0.5–1.4 by 0.3–0.6 cm in size. The flowers are purple, violet, or rose-lavender, or rarely white.
Rhododendron lapponicum, the Lapland rosebay, is a dwarf rhododendron species found in subarctic regions of North America, Europe and Asia, where it grows at altitudes ranging from sea level to 1,900 m (6,200 ft). It is an evergreen prostrate shrub growing to 20–45 cm (7.9–17.7 in) in height, with leaves that are oblong-elliptic or ovate-elliptic to oblong-obovate, 0.4–1.5 by 0.2–0.5 cm in size. The flowers are reddish or purple.
Rhododendron polycladum (多枝杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to central and northwestern Yunnan in China, where it grows at altitudes of 3,000–4,300 m (9,800–14,100 ft). It is an evergreen shrub that grows to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) in height, with leaves that are narrowly elliptic, oblong or lanceolate, 0.6–1.5 by 0.2–0.4 cm in size. The flowers are lavender to purple-blue.
Rhododendron rubiginosum (红棕杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to Myanmar, and Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan in China, where it grows at altitudes of 2,800–3,600 m (9,200–11,800 ft). This evergreen shrub grows to 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) in height, with leaves that are elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-ovate, 3.5–8 by 1.3–3.5 cm in size. The flowers are pink, red, or pale purple.
Rhododendron sikangense (川西杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to western Sichuan and northeastern Yunnan in China, where it grows at altitudes of 2,800–4,500 m (9,200–14,800 ft). It is a shrub or small tree that grows to 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) in height, with leathery leaves that are oblong-elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 7–12 by 2.5–5.5 cm in size. The flowers are white, purple, or pink, with purple flecks.
Rhododendron uvariifolium (紫玉盘杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to southwestern Sichuan, southeastern Xizang, and northwestern Yunnan in China, where it grows at altitudes of 2,100–4,000 m (6,900–13,100 ft). It is an evergreen shrub or tree growing to 2–10 m (6.6–32.8 ft) in height, with leathery leaves that are oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate or obovate, 11–24 by 3.5–6.5 cm in size. Flowers are white, pink, or rose, with crimson basal blotch and purple spots.
Rhododendron dauricum is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae native to forests and forest margins in Eastern Siberia, Mongolia, North China and Hokkaido, Japan. The Latin specific epithet dauricum means "from Siberia" – Transbaikal is also known as Dauria.
Rhododendron pulchrum (锦绣杜鹃), also identified as Rhododendron × pulchrum, is a rhododendron endemic to China. It grows as a semi-evergreen shrub, 1.5–2.5 m (4.9–8.2 ft) in height, with leathery leaf blades, elliptic-oblong to elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-oblanceolate, 2–5(–7) × 1–2.5 cm in size. The flowers are rose-purple with dark red flecks. Hirsutum describes it as "a natural hybrid; seed × pollen= R. mucronatum var mucronatum × R. indicum var formosanum".
