Rhododendron dalhousiae

Rhododendron dalhousiae Hook.fil., Rhododendron Sikkim Himalaya 1: , pl. 1 & 2 1849. (Syn: Azalea macrocarpa (Griff.) Kuntze; hododendron dalhousiae var. lindleyanum Lavallee; Rhododendron lindleyanum hort. ex Lavallee (ambiguous synonym); Rhododendron macrocarpos Griff.);

Tibet, Bhutan, E-Nepal, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Bangladesh, NE-India as per Catalogue of Life;

Collected in 1915 from Bhutan and subsequently from Kameng District in Arunachal Pradesh and China.

An epiphytic shrub or small tree.

(From IUCN Red List (VU) )

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Rhododendrons for ID : Attachments (2). 3 posts by 3 authors.

Attached herewith flowers of white rhododendrons taken at Darjeeling. The small shrub was found on a rocky hill slope. Pl confirm ID.

these are a variety of lilies not rhododendrons – rhododendrons grow on trees

Could be Rhododendron wightii
http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Wight%27s%20Rhododendron.html
however, can’t be sure at all. Some of the other white Rhododendrons are here:
http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Maddenia%20Rhododendron.html
http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Fringed%20Leaf%20Rhododendron.html

Its Rhododendron dalhousieae

Id for Rhododendron sp poss R.lindleyi, Eaglenest, Arunanchal Pradesh: I have this magnificent Rhododendron very tenatively as Rhododendron lindleyi? Any confirmation please will be much appreciated?

near Eaglenest pass (c.2200m), West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh, 21 April 2012

also maybe seen at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/77436133@N03/7152468423/in/set-72157630477649898/

Any possibility of R. lindlevi ?

Was getting a little confused with the calyx and leaf details. (Can be due to the plasticity in morphology.) Looks like R. lindleyi.

I have seen another species Rhododendron megacalyx. I am now wondering if this is a better match as you mention about the calyx and the leaf.

Difficult to check crucial details from this photo, but it would appear to be R. megacalyx.

Looks closer to images at Rhododendron dalhousieae

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Ericaceae (inc. Vacciniaceae) Fortnight : Rhododendron for ID from Arunachal Pradesh, India: 100414: SCAPR-02 : 6 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (1).

Please help for this ID.

Date of collection: April, 2006

Place: Eagle Nest Bird Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh

…, it is Rhododendron griffithianum Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 4: 6, t. 1203. 1848.

Looks different from other images at Rhododendron griffithianum Wight

To me appears close to images at Rhododendron megacalyx Balf. f. & Kingdon-Ward

Pl. confirm.

Thanks a lot, …

Are the images at Rhododendron megacalyx Balf. f. & Kingdon-Ward are also incorrect and are of Rhododendron dalhousiae var. Dalhousie only?

It is not R. megacalyx. It is R. dalhousiae var. dalhousiae

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Himalayan Flora: Rhododendron wightii: Scientific Name: Rhododendron wightii
Family: Ericaceae
Obliquely bell-shaped, pale yellow flowers with oblong to elliptic leaves. It is a shrub or small tree to 4m.

Kindly review this image again. I am afraid this seems R. dalhousiae subsp. tashii to me.
[I conclude this on the basis of the no. of flowers in the inflorescence, the size (apparent though) and shape of the flower, the convex stigma, and the typically bending style]
But it is surprising you found this in Lava (i.e. in the Darjeeling District) whereas this species (to my knowledge) has been reported only from Pangthang area in East Sikkim district of Sikkim.

I am not sure whether we can review this only with the help of available picture in which the inflorescence is not completely visible. As we can see in the picture the glabrous branches and leaves agree the characters of R. wightii described in flora of China http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200016611

May be the … (who uploaded the picture) has to review it with the help of key in any relevant flora with specimen in hand.

Flora of China says distribution of R. wightii in Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim. Hence we have to consider that the distibution of R. wightii in Darjeling could have been ignored or wrongly identified so far.

Considering the adaxial leaf features is ambiguous in the case of Rhododendron identification.
R. wightii flowers generally have red pigmented blotch and spots on the corolla (also mentioned in the flora link of flora of China mentioned in an earlier thread).
Also, R. wightii’s inflorescence has around 15-20 flowers and is easily distinguishable from this kind of few flowered inflorescence of R. dalhousiae with large flowers (The corolla colour appears much similar to the greenish lemon yellow coloured R. dalhousiae subsp. tashii flowers).