''Rhododendron lapponicum'' (高山杜鹃), the Lapland rosebay, is a dwarf

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

found in

subarctic The subarctic zone is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic, north of humid continental regions and covering much of Alaska, Canada, Iceland, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and the Cairngorms. Generally, ...

regions of North America, Europe and Asia, where it grows at

altitudes Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...

ranging from sea level to . It is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

prostrate shrub A prostrate shrub is a woody plant, most of the branches of which lie upon or just above the ground, rather than being held erect as are the branches of most trees and shrubs. Background Prostration may occur because the supporting tissues in ste ...

growing to in height, with leaves that are oblong-elliptic or ovate-elliptic to oblong-

obovate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

, 0.4–1.5 by 0.2–0.5 cm in size. The flowers are reddish or purple. Despite numerous attempts, this dwarf species has proved difficult to cultivate, possibly because it requires very cool, moist conditions and snow cover for part of the year.

References

* "''Rhododendron lapponicum''", (Linnaeus) Wahlenberg, ''Fl. Lapp.'' 104. 1812.
The Plant List

Flora of China

Hirsutum.com
lapponicum Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Ericaceae-stub