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Florida azalea, orange azalea

plumleaf azalea

Habit Shrubs or trees, to 3(–5) m, usually not rhizomatous. Shrubs or trees, to 5(–6) m, usually not rhizomatous.
Stems

bark smooth to vertically furrowed, shredding;

twigs conspicuously multicellular stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise ± moderately to densely unicellular-hairy.

bark smooth to vertically furrowed, shredding;

twigs glabrous.

Leaves

deciduous;

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

blade ovate to obovate, 3–11 × 1.5–4.5 cm, thin, membranous, margins entire, plane, ciliate, eglandular- and stipitate-glandular-hairy, apex acute to obtuse, often mucronate, abaxial surface ± moderately unicellular-hairy, adaxial surface sparsely scattered stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise ± moderately unicellular-hairy, rarely glabrescent.

deciduous;

petiole usually multicellular eglandular-hairy and unicellular-hairy;

blade ovate to obovate, 3–11(–15.2) × 1–4(–5) cm, thin, membranous to chartaceous, margins entire, plane, ciliate, eglandular-hairy, apex acute to obtuse, often mucronate, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface glabrous or, rarely, sparsely scattered eglandular-hairy.

Inflorescences

9–24-flowered;

bracts similar to bud scales.

4–7-flowered;

bracts similar to bud scales.

Pedicels

5–17 mm, stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise ± densely unicellular-hairy.

5–12 mm, eglandular-hairy.

Flowers

opening before or with leaves, erect to horizontal, slightly or not fragrant;

calyx lobes 0.5–2.5 mm, scattered stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise unicellular-hairy, margins long stipitate-glandular-hairy;

corolla yellow to orange, with usually red or orange-red tube, with indistinct, darker yellow, orange, or red blotch on upper lobe, funnelform, 25–45 mm, scattered stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise ± moderately unicellular-hairy on outer surface, petals connate, lobes 9–20 mm, tube ± gradually expanded into lobes, 15–25 mm (longer than lobes);

stamens 5, much exserted, ± unequal, 52–77 mm.

opening after development of leaves, erect to horizontal, not fragrant;

calyx lobes 1–3(–4) mm, glabrous or sparsely unicellular-hairy, margins eglandular-hairy;

corolla red to orange-red or orange, with indistinct darker blotch on upper lobe, funnelform, 36–53 mm, glabrous or very sparsely long stipitate-glandular-hairy, sometimes also sparsely unicellular-hairy on outer surface, petals connate, lobes 11–22 mm, tube abruptly expanded into lobes, 23–35 mm (± equaling or much longer than lobes);

stamens 5, much exserted, ± unequal, 64–84 mm.

Capsules

borne on erect pedicels, 14–26 × 3–5.5 mm, sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise moderately to densely unicellular-hairy.

borne on erect pedicels, 15–22 × 4.5–7 mm, densely, stiffly eglandular-hairy and sparsely unicellular-hairy.

Seeds

without distinct tails, flattened portion of testa well developed at each end;

testa expanded, dorsiventrally flattened, ± loose.

without distinct tails, flattened portion of testa well developed at each end;

testa expanded, dorsiventrally flattened, ± loose.

Floral

bud scales densely to moderately unicellular-hairy abaxially, margins unicellular-ciliate, also partly glandular-serrate.

bud scales glabrous abaxially, margins unicellular-ciliate.

2n

= 26.

= 26.

Rhododendron austrinum

Rhododendron prunifolium

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer.
Habitat Wooded slopes, bluffs or lowlands along streams Shady forests, especially ravines along streams
Elevation 0-100 m (0-300 ft) 30-200 m (100-700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; MS
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; GA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rhododendron austrinum is most closely related to R. luteum Sweet of eastern Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus region and to R. occidentale (K. A. Kron 1993).

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

Of conservation concern.

Rhododendron prunifolium is most closely related to R. flammeum, R. cumberlandense, and R. calendulaceum, and can be distinguished from all of those orange- to red-flowered species by its nearly glabrous and more gradually expanded corolla tube and by the indistinct nature of the floral blotch (K. A. Kron 1993). This species is federally protected.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 466. FNA vol. 8, p. 470.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Rhododendron Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Rhododendron
Sibling taxa
R. alabamense, R. albiflorum, R. arborescens, R. atlanticum, 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. periclymenoides, R. prinophyllum, R. tomentosum, R. vaseyi, R. viscosum
Synonyms Azalea austrina Azalea prunifolia
Name authority (Small) Rehder: in L. H. Bailey, Stand. Cycl. Hort. 6: 3571. 1917 , (Small) Millais: Rhododendrons, 230. 1917 ,
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