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Cascade azalea, white rhododendron, white-flower azalea, white-flower rhododendron

election-pink, pink azalea, pinxter-flower, pinxterbloom azalea

Habit Shrubs, to 2.5 m, rhizomatous. Shrubs, to 3(–5) m, usually not rhizomatous.
Stems

bark ± smooth to furrowed;

twigs multicellular eglandular-hairy (hairs unbranched) and unicellular-hairy.

bark smooth to vertically furrowed, shredding;

twigs scattered, multicellular eglandular-hairy (hairs unbranched) or such hairs ± absent, otherwise glabrous or sparsely unicellular-hairy.

Leaves

deciduous;

petiole multicellular eglandular- and stipitate-glandular-hairy and unicellular-hairy;

blade narrowly elliptic or ovate to obovate, 2–9 × 0.8–3 cm, thin, membranous to chartaceous, margins minutely serrate, plane, ciliate when young, eglandular- and stipitate-glandular-hairy, apex acute to ± rounded, surfaces scattered eglandular-hairy, ± glabrescent.

deciduous;

petiole multicellular eglandular-hairy and unicellular-hairy;

blade ovate to obovate, 3–9(–12.5) × 1.4–3.8(–5) cm, thin, membranous, margins entire, plane, ciliate, eglandular-hairy, often strikingly so, apex acute to obtuse, often mucronate, abaxial surface often glabrous or, sometimes, sparsely unicellular-hairy, sometimes sparsely eglandular-hairy, adaxial surface sometimes scattered eglandular-hairy, otherwise glabrous or, sometimes, sparsely unicellular-hairy.

Inflorescences

lateral (axillary, i.e., above leaf scars, spaced along shoots of previous year), fasciculate, 1–2-flowered;

bracts similar to bud scales.

6–15-flowered;

bracts similar to bud scales.

Pedicels

to 9–15 mm, eglandular- and stipitate-glandular-hairy.

4–19 mm, eglandular-hairy, otherwise glabrous or sparsely unicellular-hairy.

Flowers

± radially symmetric, opening soon after (and borne below) expanded leaves, pendulous, very fragrant (similar to vanilla and jasmine);

calyx lobes 5–17 mm, eglandular- and stipitate-glandular-hairy, margins glandular-hairy;

corolla white, rarely marked with yellow, bowl-shaped, 9–22 mm, minutely unicellular-hairy or glabrous on outer surface, petals connate, lobes 6–15 mm, tube expanding into lobes, 3–9 mm;

stamens 9(–12), included, ± unequal, 5.5–14 mm.

opening before or with leaves, erect to horizontal, slightly fragrant;

calyx lobes 0.5–2.5(–4) mm, surfaces and margins scattered, eglandular- and/or, rarely, stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise glabrous or moderately unicellular-hairy;

corolla deep pink to white with pink tube, without blotch on upper lobe, funnelform, 23–45 mm, scattered, multicellular eglandular-hairy and/or, less commonly, multicellular stipitate-glandular-hairy (hairs not forming distinct lines), otherwise sparsely to moderately unicellular-hairy on outer surface, petals connate, lobes 9–25 mm, tube usually gradually expanded into lobes, 12–27 mm (equaling or longer than lobes);

stamens 5, much exserted, ± unequal, 32–68 mm.

Capsules

borne on erect pedicels, 6–8 × 5–6 mm, stipitate-glandular-, eglandular-, and unicellular-hairy.

borne on erect pedicels, 10–30 × 3–6.5 mm, eglandular-hairy, otherwise glabrous or sparsely unicellular-hairy.

Seeds

with distinct tails;

testa closely appressed.

without distinct tails;

testa rather close, but ± loose.

Floral

bud scales stipitate-glandular- and eglandular-hairy abaxially, margins stipitate-glandular-hairy.

bud scales usually glabrous abaxially, margins unicellular-ciliate.

2n

= 26.

= 26.

Rhododendron albiflorum

Rhododendron periclymenoides

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Coniferous forests, alpine thickets, stream banks, seeps on rock outcrops Mixed, dry to moist woods, often along streams, thickets, swamps
Elevation 800-3500 m [2600-11500 ft] 0-1000 m [0-3300 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; CT; DE; GA; KY; MA; MD; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rhododendron albiflorum is especially distinctive due to its axillary, white, somewhat pendulous, and nearly actinomorphic flowers, and it is placed in the monotypic subg. Candidastrum (Sleumer) Philipson & Philipson (W. R. Philipson and M. N. Philipson 1986). It is occasionally used as an ornamental. The disjunct population in Colorado has somewhat smaller calyx lobes and corollas and shorter stamens; it is sometimes recognized as var. warrenii (M. A. Lane et al. 1993). This variety is not recognized here because of the extent of morphological overlap between that population and those of the Pacific Northwest.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Rhododendron periclymenoides is most similar to R. canescens, from which it can be distinguished by its less hairy leaves and bud scales, more gradually expanded corolla tube, and usually eglandular corolla indumentum; plants with stipitate-glandular hairs on the corolla occur sporadically throughout the range of this species (K. A. Kron 1993). Occasional hybridization with R. atlanticum, R. canescens, and R. prinophyllum probably occurs. The name R. nudiflorum Torrey has been incorrectly applied to this species; that name was superfluous when published and applies to R. luteum.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 464. Treatment authors: Walter S. Judd, Kathleen A. Kron. FNA vol. 8, p. 468. Treatment authors: Walter S. Judd, Kathleen A. Kron.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Rhododendron Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Rhododendron
Sibling taxa
R. alabamense, R. arborescens, R. atlanticum, R. austrinum, R. calendulaceum, R. canadense, R. canescens, R. catawbiense, R. columbianum, R. cumberlandense, R. eastmanii, R. flammeum, R. groenlandicum, R. lapponicum, R. macrophyllum, R. maximum, R. minus, R. occidentale, R. periclymenoides, R. prinophyllum, R. prunifolium, R. tomentosum, R. vaseyi, R. viscosum
R. alabamense, R. albiflorum, R. arborescens, R. atlanticum, R. austrinum, R. calendulaceum, R. canadense, R. canescens, R. catawbiense, R. columbianum, R. cumberlandense, R. eastmanii, R. flammeum, R. groenlandicum, R. lapponicum, R. macrophyllum, R. maximum, R. minus, R. occidentale, R. prinophyllum, R. prunifolium, R. tomentosum, R. vaseyi, R. viscosum
Synonyms Azaleastrum albiflorum, R. albiflorum var. warrenii Azalea periclymenoides
Name authority Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 43, plate 133. 1834 , (Michaux) Shinners: Castanea 27: 95. 1962 ,
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