Rhododendron alabamense

Rehder in E. H. Wilson and A. J. Rehder

in E. H. Wilson and A. J. Rehder, Monogr. Azaleas, 141. 1921 ,.

Common names: Alabama azalea
Endemic
Synonyms: Azalea alabamensis (Rehder) Ashe
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 467. Mentioned on page 458, 469, 473.

Shrubs, to 3 (–5) m, usually not rhizomatous. Stems: bark smooth to vertically furrowed, shredding; twigs scattered, multicellular eglandular-hairy (hairs unbranched), otherwise glabrous or moderately unicellular-hairy. Leaves deciduous; petiole unicellular and stipitate-glandular-hairy; blade ovate to obovate, 4–7.7 (–9.4) × 1.2–2.5 (–3.3) cm, thin, membranous, margins entire, plane, ciliate, eglandular-hairy, apex acute to obtuse, often mucronate, abaxial surface glabrous or unicellular-hairy, adaxial surface usually scattered eglandular-hairy, usually also unicellular-hairy. Floral bud-scales glabrous or glabrate abaxially, margins unicellular-ciliate. Inflorescences 6–7-flowered; bracts similar to bud-scales. Pedicels 4–12 mm, eglandular and/or stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise glabrous or moderately unicellular-hairy. Flowers opening before or with leaves, erect to horizontal, very fragrant; calyx lobes 0.1–3 mm, scattered eglandular-hairy and/or stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise sparsely to moderately unicellular-hairy, margins eglandular-hairy; corolla white, sometimes pink-tinged, with contrasting yellow blotch on upper lobe, funnelform, 25–42 mm, scattered stipitate-glandular-hairy (hairs often continuing in lines up lobes), otherwise sparsely to moderately unicellular-hairy on outer surface, petals connate, lobes 9–21 mm, tube usually ± gradually expanded into lobes, 15–31 mm (longer than lobes); stamens 5, much exserted, ± unequal, 37–69 mm. Capsules borne on erect pedicels, 14–22 × 3–4 mm, sparsely to moderately multicellular eglandular-hairy, otherwise moderately to densely unicellular-hairy. Seeds without distinct tails; testa expanded, dorsiventrally flattened, ± loose. 2n = 26.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Open, dry woodlands, rocky slopes
Elevation: 0-500 m

Distribution

V8 913-distribution-map.gif

Ala., Fla., Ga., Miss., Tenn.

Discussion

Rhododendron alabamense may be most closely related to a clade containing orange-red-flowered species (K. A. Kron 1993). This species has sometimes been confused with R. eastmanii; R. alabamense flowers before or as the leaves expand whereas R. eastmanii flowers after the leaves have expanded. Hybrids with R. canescens are known.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

No values specified.

... more about "Rhododendron alabamense"
unicellular-hairy +  and glabrous +
unicellular-hairy +  and eglandular-hairy +
mucronate +, acute +  and obtuse +
Walter S. Judd +  and Kathleen A. Kron +
Rehder in E. H. Wilson and A. J. Rehder +
smooth +  and vertically furrowed +
not flaky +
7.7 cm77 mm <br />0.077 m <br /> (9.4 cm94 mm <br />0.094 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3.3 cm33 mm <br />0.033 m <br />) +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (7.7 cm77 mm <br />0.077 m <br />) +
ovate;obovate +
membranous +
scale-like +
unicellular-hairy +, stipitate-glandular-hairy +, eglandular-hairy +  and scattered +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
multicellular +
1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
unicellular-hairy +  and eglandular-hairy +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Alabama azalea +
pink-tinged +  and white +
unicellular-hairy +  and stipitate-glandular-hairy +
rotate to crateriform campanulate cylindric globose or urceolate +
funnel;rotate;campanulate +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (4.2 cm42 mm <br />0.042 m <br />) +
Ala. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Miss. +  and Tenn. +
0-500 m +
undifferentiated +
fusiform +
glabrate +  and glabrous +
pendulous +  and erect +
usually ovoid;cylindric +
Open, dry woodlands, rocky slopes +
multicellular +
terminal +  and axillary +
deciduous +
fragrant +
horizontal +  and erect +
? (?) +  and ? (?) +
unicellular-ciliate +  and ciliate +
eglandular-hairy +
parietal +, axile +  and placentation +
tenuinucellate +  and unitegmic +
unicellular-hairy +, glabrous +  and stipitate-glandular-hairy +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
scale-like +
reduced +
not sticky +
stipitate-glandular-hairy +
Flowering spring. +
4-5-carpellate +
in E. H. Wilson and A. J. Rehder, Monogr. Azaleas, +
tan;yellowish-brown or brown +
distinct +
tailed +, flattened-ellipsoidal +  and fusiform +
unequal +
3.7 cm37 mm <br />0.037 m <br /> (6.9 cm69 mm <br />0.069 m <br />) +
procumbent +  and prostrate +
creeping +  and sprawling +
hairy +  and glabrous +
peltate +  and capitate +
straight +
Azalea alabamensis +
distinct +
Rhododendron alabamense +
Rhododendron +
species +
flattened +
expanded +
expanded +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (3.1 cm31 mm <br />0.031 m <br />) +
multicellular +
unicellular-hairy +, glabrous +  and eglandular-hairy +
300 cm3,000 mm <br />3 m <br /> (500 cm5,000 mm <br />5 m <br />) +
evergreen +, deciduous +  and perennial +
heterotrophic +, autotrophic +  and mycotrophic +