Rhododendron brookeanum brookeanum

Description

“Pet poisonous” – Toxic parts: entire plant Rhododendron moulmainense (Westland's Rhododendron; syn. Rhododendron westladii Hemsl.) is a species of Rhododendron, native to southern China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hong Kong, Hunan, Yunnan), Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree 3–8 m tall. The leaves are 4–13 cm long, elliptical and leathery. Every leaf has a curvy margin rolling backward toward the underside. The flowers are fragrant, borne on top of the branches, are in an umbel inflorescence and in groups of two to four. The petal is white or pink, with its inner part spotted orange. Its flowering period is from March to April in Hong Kong. The fruit is a cylindric, 2.5–5 cm long capsule, 6-angled along its length, bearing numerous small seeds. Its fruiting period is from May to June in Hong Kong. The common name honours A. B. Westland, the first Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens, Hong Kong Rhododendron is a genus characterised by shrubs and small to (rarely) large trees, the smallest species growing to 10-100 cm (3.9-39.4 in) tall, and the largest, R. protistum var. giganteum, reported to 30 m (98 ft) tall. The leaves are spirally arranged; leaf size can range from 1-2 cm (0.39-0.79 in) to over 50 cm (20 in), exceptionally 100 cm (39 in) in R. sinogrande. They may be either evergreen or deciduous. In some species, the undersides of the leaves are covered with scales (lepidote) or hairs (indumentum). Some of the best known species are noted for their many clusters of large flowers. There are alpine species with small flowers and small leaves, and tropical species such as section Vireya that often grow as epiphytes. Species in this genus may be part of the heath complex in oak-heath forests in eastern North America. They have frequently been divided based on the presence or absence of scales on the abaxial (lower) leaf surface (lepidote or elepidote). These scales, unique to subgenus Rhododendron, are modified hairs consisting of a polygonal scale attached by a stalk. Rhododendron are characterised by having inflorescences with scarious (dry) perulae, a chromosome number of x=13, fruit that has a septicidal capsule, an ovary that is superior (or nearly so), stamens that have no appendages, and agglutinate (clumped) pollen.