星毛杜鹃 xing mao du juan

Rhododendron agapetum I. B. Balfour & Kingdon Ward; R. prophantum I. B. Balfour & Forrest.

Shrubs, 5–10 m tall; branchlets stout; young shoots stellate-tomentose and glandular-setose, glabrescent. Petiole cylindric, 15–45 mm, stellate-tomentose and glandular-hairy, finally glabrous; leaf blade thinly leathery, oblong-elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 8–22 × 3.5–9(–10) cm; base broadly cuneate to rounded; apex obtuse or cuspidate; both surfaces tomentose when young, persistent only abaxially, hairs stellate; midrib conspicuously raised abaxially, grooved adaxially; lateral veins 15–16-paired. Inflorescence racemose, 10–15-flowered; rachis 25–40 mm, stellate-tomentose. Pedicel 1.5–3 cm, densely glandular-setose and sparsely floccose; calyx red, cupular; lobes 5, 2–5 mm, irregular; corolla tubular-campanulate, fleshy, bright crimson to scarlet, without flecks, 4–5.5 cm, with 5 more deeply colored basal nectar pouches, outer surface sparsely glandular-setose; lobes 5, suborbicular, 1.5–2 × ca. 2 cm; stamens 10, unequal, 3–4 cm, filaments crimson, puberulent in lower half; ovary cylindric, 5–7 × ca. 3 mm, 6-locular, stellate-tomentose and glandular-hairy; style 3.5–4.5 cm, with same indumentum in lower half, or extending to tip, stigma capitate. Capsule cylindric, slightly curved, 20–25 × ca. 6 mm. Fl. Jun, fr. Sep–Oct.

Mixed forests; 2000–3000 m. W Yunnan [NE Myanmar].