Introduction of rhododendron species-- sheep hesitant

It belongs to the subgenus Rhododendron. Deciduous shrubs, 0.5-2 m tall. The branchlets are soft and thin. Pilose and bristles. The leaves are papery, light green, long elliptic-lanceolate, 5-12 cm long and 2-4.5 cm wide, apex obtuse, with a convex tip, base cuneate, margin ciliate, petiole, leaf surface, and leaf back all pilose. Terminal racemose umbel, with 5-9 flowers, blossoms in early May, about 10 days later than Yingshanhong, flowers first and then leaves or flowers and leaves together, Corolla wide bell-shaped, caliber 5-6 cm, golden yellow to orange, tail light green, bright and eye-catching. Stamens 5, pilose at base, style smooth; ovary 5-loculed, pilose. Capsule Terete, mature from September to October.

This species is found in shrubs on hillsides below 2000 meters in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou and other provinces. Because the whole plant is poisonous and poses a threat to livestock, it is rarely cultivated in East China, but its golden flowers and green leaves are very special in Yingshanhong community. proper collocation can add color to the landscape. There are 18 species made in the United States, but their hybrid compatibility, seed setting rate, germination rate, cold tolerance and stress resistance are not as good as those of the Chinese species. The yellow flower heredity of rhododendron is recessive in the hybrid generation and is of great value in breeding, so it is still used as a hybrid parent in the United States. At present, many yellow rhododendrons of the same kind have been bred in the world. So far, this kind of wild species has not been found in Yunnan, China, but there is a long and extensive distribution of cultivated species, with large plants, first leaves before flowers, and large and dense flowers. With golden color and red halo, it is the most beautiful horticultural variety of this kind, which is most cultivated in Dali, Baoshan, Tengchong and Lijiang.