Rhododendron species introduction: What kind of plant is the Chinese azalea (Rhododendron molle)

It belongs to the subgenus Rhododendron subg. Pentanthera. Deciduous shrub, 0.5-2 m tall. Branchlets slender and sparse. Covered with soft hairs and bristles. Leaves papery, tender green, long elliptic-lanceolate, 5-12 cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide, apex obtuse, with a protruding tip, base cuneate, margins ciliate, petiole, leaf surface and leaf underside all covered with soft hairs. Terminal racemose umbel, with 5-9 flowers, blooming in early May, about 10 days later than the red azalea (Rhododendron simsii), flowering before leaves or flowers and leaves appearing together, corolla broadly campanulate, 5-6 cm in diameter, golden yellow to orange-yellow, with faint green spots at the tail end, dazzlingly brilliant. Stamens 5, base covered with soft hairs, style smooth; ovary 5-locular, covered with soft hairs. Capsule cylindrical, maturing from September to October.

This species is found in hillside thickets below 2000 m in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou and other provinces. Because the whole plant is toxic and poses a threat to livestock, it is rarely cultivated in East China, but its golden-bright flowers and verdant tender green leaves are quite distinctive among red azalea communities. With appropriate pairing, it can add color to garden landscapes. The United States has 18 species, but their cross-compatibility rate, seed-setting rate, germination rate, cold hardiness and stress resistance are all inferior to the Chinese species. The yellow-flower heredity of the Chinese azalea is recessive in the first hybrid generation, which is highly valuable in breeding, so the United States still prefers to use this species as a cross parent. At present, many yellow-flowered rhododendrons of the same type as the Chinese azalea have been bred worldwide. In Yunnan, China, no wild species of this kind has been found so far, but there is a long and widespread distribution of cultivated varieties, whose plants are larger, with leaves emerging before flowers, and flowers large and dense. The color is golden yellow with a crimson blush, making it the most beautiful horticultural variety of this species, cultivated most extensively in the areas of Dali, Baoshan, Tengchong and Lijiang.