page_title: Rhododendron
section_title: Taxonomy
hierarchical_section_title: Rhododendron / Taxonomy
caption_attribution_description: English: Rhododendron wardii var. puralbum at Finnerty Gardens, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
context_page_description: Rhododendron is a genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family, either evergreen or deciduous, and found mainly in Asia, although it is also widespread throughout the lowland and montane forests of the Pacific Northwest, California, and the highlands of the Appalachian Mountains of North America. It is the national flower of Nepal, as well as, the state flower of Washington and West Virginia in United States, the provincial flower of Jiangxi in China and the state tree of Sikkim and Uttarakhand in India. Most species have brightly colored flowers which bloom from late winter through to early summer.
  Azaleas make up two subgenera of Rhododendron. They are distinguished from "true" rhododendrons by having only five anthers per flower.
context_section_description: Rhododendron is the largest genus in the family Ericaceae, with as many as 1,024 species, (though estimates vary from 850–1000) and is morphologically diverse. Consequently, the taxonomy has been historically complex.
caption: Rhododendron wardii var. puralbum
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