Rhododendron oligocarpum W. P. Fang & S. S. Chang, syn. nov.
Creators: name: Chen, Sheng
name: Hao, Lei
name: Deng, Yi-Hui
name: Yang, Cheng-Hua
name: Yuan, Jun-Mei
name: Lou, Jia-Xin
name: He, Yun-Song
name: Chen, Xiang
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Ericales
Ericaceae
Rhododendron
Rhododendron oligocarpum

description: Rhododendron oligocarpum W. P. Fang & S. S. Chang syn. nov.
Type.
China. Guizhou province: Yinjiang county, Sanduodian, 2070 m elev, 14 april 1964, Z. S. Zhang et al. 401557 (holotype: HGAS 0088928!; isotypes: IBSC 0481928!; PE 01297915!, PE 01297916!; paratype: HGAS 007915!; IBK 00187538!, IBK 00187539!, IBK 00187541!, IBK 00187559!; PE 00312607!, PE 00313389!; KUN 540382!; SZ 0036179!).
Description.
Shrubs or small trees, 3–6 m tall; bark grey, dehiscent on drying; branchlets terete, setose when young, gradually glabrescent. Petiole rounded abaxially, furrowed adaxially, 5–15 mm, densely setose; leaf blade leathery, elliptic or obovate, 4–8 × 2–4 cm; base rounded or subcordate; margin revolute, apex rounded, with small apiculate; adaxial surface green, abaxial surface pistachio; mid-rib impressed abaxially, grooved adaxially, glabrous or sometimes sparsely hairy; lateral veins 11–15 - paired, slightly conspicuous on both surfaces. Inflorescence racemose-umbellate, 3–5 - flowered; rachis 5–7 mm, tomentose. Pedicel 1–2 cm, densely setose-tomentose; Calyx small, discoid, lobes 5, triangular, tomentose, 1–2 mm. Corolla campanulate, purple-red to rose-red, with deep purple basal spots, 3–3.5 cm; lobes 5, suborbicular, ca. 1.5 × 2 cm, apex emarginate; stamens 10, unequal, 1–3 cm, filaments puberulent at base; ovary cone-shaped, 4–5 mm, densely densely setose and tomentose; style 2.5–3 cm, glabrous, stigma slightly expanded. Capsule cylindrical, 20–25 × 7 mm, rough. Flowering from April to May and fruiting from September to October.
Distribution and habitat.
Rhododendron leishanicum is distributed in Eastern Guizhou and North-eastern Guangxi. It grows in Thickets at 1800–2500 m a. s. l.
Specimens examined.
China. Guizhou: Qiandongnan Prefecture, Leigong Mountain, P. L. Song 1016 (GYBG barcode 0002282, 0002283), 4407 (CCNU barcode 9018123), 4717 (CCNU barcode 9018122); Tongren City, Fanjing Mountain, Z. S. Zhang et al. 401673 (IBSC barcode 0481934), 401317 (HGAS barcode 0088940, IBSC barcode 0481929), 400681 (HGAS barcode 0088933), 400610 (HGAS barcode 0088939), Z. P. Jian 32039 (HGAS barcode 0088938), Wuling Mountain Expedition 731 (GFS barcode 0007355, KUN barcode 0339467, 0339468, PE barcode 00258535), 1348 (GFS barcode 0007356, KUN barcode 0339469). Guangxi: Guilin City, Maoer Mountain, G. Z. Li 11272 (IBK barcode 00187540), 12378 (IBK barcode 00187542), 12084 (IBK barcode 00187561), F. X. Jin 1066 (HTC barcode 0010523, 0010524, 0010525), J. X. Zhong 83311 (IBK barcode 00187551, 00187552, IBSC barcode 0481913), 83523 (IBK barcode 00187560), 81647 (IBK barcode 00187566, 00187567), L. M. Gao 20077 (KUN barcode 0767388, 0767389).
description: Published as part of Chen, Sheng, Hao, Lei, Deng, Yi-Hui, Yang, Cheng-Hua, Yuan, Jun-Mei, Lou, Jia-Xin, He, Yun-Song & Chen, Xiang, 2024, A new synonym of Rhododendron leishanicum (subg. Hymenanthes) from China (Ericaceae), pp. 9-14 in PhytoKeys 243 on pages 9-14, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.243.121263