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Rhododendron macrophyllum

big leaf rhododendron, California rhododendron, California rose bay, coast rhododendron, Pacific rhododendron, western rhododendron

mountain azalea, Piedmont or southern pinxterbloom azalea

Habit Shrubs or trees, to 5 m, sometimes rhizomatous. Shrubs or trees, to 6 m, usually not rhizomatous.
Stems

bark smooth to vertically furrowed, shredding;

twigs with basally branched, crisped/matted, eglandular hairs, very quickly glabrate.

bark smooth to vertically furrowed, shredding;

twigs scattered, multicellular eglandular- and/or stipitate-glandular-hairy (hairs unbranched), otherwise moderately to densely unicellular-hairy.

Leaves

persistent;

petiole glabrous;

blade elliptic to slightly ovate or obovate, (6–)8.5–14(–20) × 2.5–5.5(–7.5) cm, thick, coriaceous, margins entire, plane to revolute, glabrous, apex acute to obtuse or slightly acuminate, surfaces scattered eglandular-hairy (hairs branched basally, crisped, very quickly deciduous), abaxial surface ± smooth.

deciduous;

petiole usually multicellular eglandular- or stipitate-glandular-hairy, also unicellular-hairy;

blade ovate to obovate, 2.5–10(–13) × 1.2–3(–4) cm, thin, membranous to chartaceous, margins entire, rarely minutely serrulate, plane, inconspicuously ciliate, eglandular-hairy (hairs appressed to margins), apex acute to obtuse, often mucronate, abaxial surface densely to sparsely unicellular-hairy, sometimes glabrous or glabrate, often also scattered eglandular-hairy, adaxial surface usually scattered eglandular-hairy, otherwise sparsely unicellular-hairy, sometimes glabrous.

Inflorescences

10–20-flowered;

bracts similar to bud scales.

6–19-flowered;

bracts similar to bud scales.

Pedicels

30–60 mm, glabrous.

4–17 mm, usually eglandular-hairy, rarely stipitate-glandular- and/or eglandular-hairy, otherwise sparsely to densely unicellular-hairy.

Flowers

opening after development of leaves (of flowering shoots), erect to horizontal, fragrant;

calyx lobes 1–1.5 mm, glabrous, except margins eglandular- and stipitate-glandular-hairy;

corolla white to pink or rose-purple, with yellowish green spots on upper lobe, broadly campanulate, 24–48 mm, outer surface glabrous, petals connate, lobes 14–30 mm, tube gradually expanding into lobes, 10–23 mm;

stamens 10, included, ± unequal, 16–37 mm.

opening before or with leaves, erect to horizontal, fragrant (usually musky-scented);

calyx lobes 0.5–4 mm, surfaces and margins scattered stipitate-glandular- and/or eglandular-hairy, otherwise usually densely unicellular-hairy;

corolla deep pink to white with pink tube, without blotch on upper lobe, funnelform, 23–46 mm, scattered, multicellular stipitate-glandular-hairy (hairs not forming distinct lines), otherwise sparsely to densely unicellular-hairy on outer surface, petals connate, lobes 7–20 mm, tube ± gradually expanded into lobes, 13–27 mm (equaling or longer than lobes);

stamens 5, much exserted, ± unequal, 31–64 mm.

Capsules

borne on erect pedicels, 13–25 × 4–7 mm, eglandular-hairy (hairs ferruginous, branched or unbranched) and, often, stipitate-glandular-hairy.

borne on erect pedicels, 12–33 × 3–6.5 mm, usually sparsely to moderately eglandular-hairy, otherwise ± densely 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 multicellular eglandular-hairy (hairs branched basally), and unicellular-hairy (hairs short to elongate) abaxially, margins eglandular-hairy (hairs branched).

bud scales ± densely unicellular-hairy abaxially, margins usually unicellular-ciliate.

2n

= 26.

= 26.

Rhododendron macrophyllum

Rhododendron canescens

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Forest and forest margins, thickets Moist to dry woods, pocosins, swamps and savannas, often along streams
Elevation 50-1600 m [160-5200 ft] 0-500 m [0-1600 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; KY; LA; MS; NC; OK; SC; TN; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rhododendron macrophyllum, R. maximum, and R. catawbiense represent subg. Hymenanthes (Blume) K. Koch in North America; the subgenus is represented by hundreds of species in temperate eastern Asia and is characterized by its branched, eglandular hairs (D. F. Chamberlain 1982). These showy plants are frequently used as ornamentals.

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

Rhododendron canescens is most similar to R. prinophyllum and R. periclymenoides, although these three species do not constitute a clade (K. A. Kron 1993); they occasionally hybridize where their habitats and ranges overlap. In addition, putative hybrids with R. alabamense, R. atlanticum, R. austrinum, R. flammeum, R. periclymenoides, and R. calendulaceum are known.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 462. Treatment authors: Walter S. Judd, Kathleen A. Kron. FNA vol. 8, p. 469. Treatment authors: Walter S. Judd, Kathleen A. Kron.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Rhododendron Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Rhododendron
Sibling taxa
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. 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. 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
Synonyms R. californicum Azalea canescens, Azalea candida
Name authority D. Don ex G. Don: Gen. Hist. 3: 843. 1834 , (Michaux) Sweet: Hort. Brit. ed. 2, 343. 1830 ,
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